If there was a story to be told in this film, I didn't get it. While watching I heard echos of Lynch's the Elephant-man. Resemblance if any would be in the tone. The era is similar and the focus is on an outcast also. The depiction of Ireland in the late 19th century with its decency veneer and gross hypocrisy is as good as it gets. The character of Nobbs, the simple little man is summed when he says: «a life without decency would be unbearable». The irony is the misery of Nobbs' life in order to maintain this so-called decency. But Nobbs is a bore and all around him is even less interesting. The redeeming factor is Glenn Close who shows us once again the magnitude of her towering talent in an intense portrayal of this little man, which makes us almost forget that Nobbs is a transvestite. But the lack of subtlety in the script doesn't let us forget it, with constant visual reminders. There was material here for a great film, but the script goes in every direction mostly into inconsequential story lines. Too bad!
Review of Albert Nobbs
