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The premise of a woman character passing as a man asks for a prerequisite suspension of disbelief.
It’s been done countless times in movies – with actresses sometimes pulling it off (Hilary Swank in “Boys Don’t Cry”) or not (Barbra Streisand in “Yentl”).
As “Albert Nobbs,” Glenn Close plays a woman passing as a man in 19th-century Ireland. Albert works at a posh hotel in Dublin as a waiter, saving his meager earnings for an undisclosed reason.
We see Albert do his job, staunchly serving drinks at a dinner for well-to-do patrons of the hotel. The other staff members are working-class folk who do their duties diligently.
It’s clear that Albert doesn’t socialize with his peers, hardly speaking to anyone. Until he is forced to share his room with Mr. Page (Janet McTeer, a supporting actress Oscar nominee), a painter hired for the night. Needless to say, Mr. Page accidentally discovers Albert’s secret, which sends Albert into a whirlwind of panic, for fear of being exposed.
But Mr. Page has a secret of his own, and the next day reveals that he, too, is a woman (what a coincidence). This intrigues Albert, who begins to question Mr. Page on his life, and how he came to be married.
Meanwhile, Joe (Aaron Johnson from “Kick-Ass”) shows up at the hotel and is mistaken for a boiler repair man. He is hired and joins the ranks of the staff, catching the eye of flirty maid Helen (Mia Wasikowska from “Alice in Wonderland”). They soon begin a romantic fling, though Albert also begins to court Helen in hopes of “marrying” her to keep up his charade.
The drama that unfolds is straightforward, really, and somewhat slight. But what carries the film is Close’s finely detailed, Oscar-nominated performance (she played the role in an off-Broadway play). It’s a valiant turn, even if it isn’t always believable.
And since Albert is stifled by his identity and his confused feelings, Close keeps a tight-lipped lock on showing emotion. That’s understandable, but it doesn’t always create an engaging character or make us feel much empathy.
The film mixes in a little humor with its bigger-picture issues, but eventually goes for melodrama. In the end, Close’s effort sticks with you, even if the story really doesn’t.
