Glenn Close's 2011 film adaptation of an 1918 book by Irish writer George Moore titled "The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs" has received mixed and sometimes unappreciative reviews. Some reviewers could perhaps be numbered among those who hold their own predefined expectations and tend to impose preconditions on movies. Ideas such as there should be certain types of story line, that there should be a build-up and climax, that there should be lots of action or exciting bits, lots of special effects or what ever. Reminds me of a 1970 song: Flowers are red young man, Green leaves are green, There's no need to see flowers any other way, Than the way they always have been seen. (forgive my rant) How then about a film that has few of these schoolboyish tags attached to it? How about a movie that, instead of candy and popcorn, has a thoughtful storyline which is illustrated with brilliant historic and social accuracy. A film that, like a really excellent meal, does not have to rely on lots of sauces, sprinkles, and fancy arrangements, but instead is built on first class ingredients, knowledgeable and careful preparation, balanced mixing and cooking, all of which result in a film with beautifully rich texture and characters that are not mere caricatures. A film that lingers many days after watching it.
Portraiture, so to speak, is in my opinion, the core strength of the film, and that to a high degree, begins with the highly creative adaptation of the original text. This adaptation adds depth and colour to the characters to a level not found in the original. Not only are the characters very well defined, the backgrounds and settings are exquisitely detailed and accurately painted.
Glenn Close gives her character Albert a wonderful depth and texture. Her acting is superb and convincing to the point where, initially not knowing much about the story or the film, I was completely taken in by her Albert and did not recognise him/her as Glenn Close. Janet McTerr plays a blinder as Mr. Page giving us a portrayal which is both deep, convincing and compassionate. By highlighting these two ladies, I, in no way, wish to take from the many other parts played to a level where the observer can feel like they are watching a historical documentary and not fiction. The Irish accents are superbly handled, the acting is restrained and never overplayed, a really great job by the players.
I believe that this film has been, to a great extent, overlooked by the critics and the general public. My hope is that it's image will mature with the public similar to the way that "2001 A Space Odyssey", which initially was beyond the limited scope of many critics and reviewers, and because of that, took some time to be fully appreciated, finally got the recognition it deserved.
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