Albert Nobbs (Rodrigo Garcia) **

Albert Nobbs arrives as an Oscar bait picture featuring Glenn Close in a gender reversing role that was sure to get her nominated. Close is a terrific actress, one of the most reliable over the last couple decades. That she has failed to win an Oscar out of five previous nominations is certainly unfortunate, but this dull period drama comes across more as a calculated attempt to finally end that streak than a serious attempt to make a film with a compelling story. Also getting in the way is a supporting performance in the same film that completely upstages her every step of the way.

Albert Nobbs (Close) is a woman who has been passing as a man for 30 years. She's done this in order to make a living as a waiter, which has successfully led to her current employment at a quaint English hotel. One day she runs into another woman (Janet McTeer) successfully posing as a man, one who has actually managed to find a wife and live a relatively happy life. This inspires Albert to try and do the same so she sets her sights on Helen (Mia Wasikowska), a maid that works for the same hotel.

There's an interesting story within the world of Albert Nobbs, but it's not one the filmmakers chose to tell. As a main character, Albert is not very compelling. It's a low key performance from Close, but it's almost too low key. All of her emotions are kept so tightly within that it becomes really hard for the audience to have a strong emotional bond with the character. However, the movie comes to life whenever Janet McTeer's character hits the screen. She is complex, dynamic, and completely enthralling. It is one of the best performances of the year. A movie focused on her would've been much, much better.

Thus the problem with the film is that apart from the central conceit, Albert is a very dull character. She is so incredibly introverted that the screenplay often has to resort to a lazy and awkward device of having Albert talk to herself so we know what she's thinking. A voice over technique would've been a much better choice here. Also problematic is that Helen is such a thoroughly unpleasant character, there's little reason for us to want Albert to succeed in her quest, especially since Albert's goals (in stark contrast to the McTeer character) seem to be more about convenience of having a wife than any compelling romantic interest.

One of the mysteries in the film that Albert wants to solve is how and when the McTeer character told her wife. Albert constantly tries to find this out, but is often interrupted. I shared Albert's frustration, because the answer to this question is far more compelling than anything involving Albert's life. There is one time later in the film where Albert explains the reason she chose to dress as a man. It's the best scene Close has in the film and a truly heartbreaking scene, but it comes way too late and nothing surrounding this lives up to that one moment. At some point during the making of this movie, I wonder if anyone stopped and thought that maybe they were making the movie about the wrong person.