Albert Nobbs poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Brendan Gleeson, Aaron Johnson ... see more see more... , Brenda Fricker , Antonia Campbell-Hughes , Pauline Collins , Maria Doyle Kennedy , Mark Williams , James Greene , Serena Brabazon , Michael McElhatton , Dolores Mullally , Bonnie McCormack , Phyllida Law , Kenneth Collard , Judy Donovan , Jonathan Rhys Meyers , Phoebe Waller-Bridge , Emerald Fennell , John Light , Daniel Costello , Angeline Ball , Philip O'Sullivan , Katie Long , Katie O'Brien , Mark Doherty , Rhys Burke , Lauren Kinsella , Katie Ann McDonough , Kathleen Warner Yates , Cate MacGabhann , Bronagh Gallagher , Antoinette Healy , Annie Starke , Cathy White , Malcolm Blacow , Lily Melcher , Lucie Melcher , Raul Riva , Juno , Amanda Seyfried , Orlando Bloom

Five-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close stars in this emotional and thought-provoking tale of a woman forced to live as a man in 19th Century Ireland. After thirty years of keeping up the charade,... read more read more... a new love threatens to destroy everything she's worked so hard to build.. -- (C) Roadside Attractions

Flixster Users

48% liked it

7,015 ratings

Critics

55% liked it

142 critics

R, 1 hr. 53 min.

Directed by: Rodrigo García

Release Date: January 27, 2012

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 15, 2012

Get It:

Stats: 494 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Glenn Close Aaron Johnson
Upload a Photo | View All Albert Nobbs Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (494)

  • fb576433743
    March 11, 2012
    fb576433743
    Hey there, Glenn Close, I see what you're doing there. I'm just not sure it always works, is all. This is an often touching, often quite sad story about the way the those who do not conform to the demands of their societies function - or not - within the structures of said societ... read moreies. Close's Albert is something of a cipher - perhaps understandably, considering that "he" has spent his whole life living as a negation of "his" former self - but I wonder if that mystery prevents us from feeling more of a connection with him. When we do feel that connection, it is painful. As for Janet McTeer's Hubert, there is no mystery there - the character is raw and real and vulnerable, and while providing an interesting foil and role model for Albert, seems sometimes to almost throw the title character into shadow as a result. There's an attraction in Albert's enigma, but perhaps not enough to lift the film up a bit higher, and it occasionally loses its way under the weight of the less interesting Helen/Joe storyline. A flawed film, yes, but often a compelling one.
  • dunmyer
    March 3, 2012
    dunmyer
    Glenn Close and Janet McTeer deserved the Oscar nominations they received for their work in 'Albert Nobbs.' They are amazing. They play women living as men. Glenn Close especially blew me away with her ability to transform herself physically. But more than that, she was able to c... read moreapture the deep heart and soul of the character.

    Her character's name is Albert Nobbs. It's late 19th-century Dublin, and he lives and works as a waiter in a small, friendly hotel. McTeer plays a "man" who briefly works at the hotel repainting rooms. When they strike up a friendship, each is shocked to learn that the other is a woman. They grow to love and encourage each other in a beautiful way.

    A young maid (played by Mia Wasikowska) captures Albert's heart, which is something that appears never to have happened for him. He struggles to figure out how to date and whether to tell the maid about his gender condition.

    But the maid is really interested in a handsome, self-absorbed young man (played well by Aaron Johnson from 'Kick-Ass') who also lives and works at the hotel. When the maid ends up pregnant, life at the hotel comes apart, ending in a life-changing spell of violence.

    'Albert Nobbs' is a wonderful little film. Once or twice it gets a bit schmaltzy. Director Rodrigo Garcia (best known for his work on the HBO show 'In Treatment') is at heart a television writer/director. That's his medium. All his films (including 2009's 'Mother and Child') have a TV feel. But 'Albert Nobbs' shows that Garcia is getting more comfortable with film. This is by far his best film yet.

    Incidentally, Garcia is the son of legendary novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
  • blacksheepboy
    February 25, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    Glenn Close delivers a very solid performance, but this weak drama does not seem to know exactly what it wants to say. The irregular story wanders without a clear direction, giving in to a lot of expository dialogue and ending in an anticlimactic conclusion.
  • sanjurosamurai
    February 9, 2012
    sanjurosamurai
    "nobbs" is an unfortunate last name for a man trying to hide the fact that he really is a woman. the film was somewhat interesting, and i always love gleeson on film, but i never really believed that anything redeeming would come of the story. the acting was solid but not great... read more, and the end was terrible. overall, nothing to recommend.
  • fb100000145236770
    December 29, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    "Albert Nobbs" is a quiet movie about living life as a lie. Glenn Close gives an award worthy performance as Albert Nobbs. Nobbs is a woman who lives life as a man to support herself in 19th Century Ireland. She wants to live life freely, but she has to keep up the charade of ... read morebeing a man, or she will lose her job and livelihood. The movie reminded me of "Brokeback Mountain"(another movie about living life as a lie), in that it's sad that Nobbs had to live that life. However, unlike "Mountain", this is slow and not nearly as engaging. Other than Close's performance, the movie falls flat. Even Janet McTeer's portrayal of Hubert(another woman being a man) doesn't give the movie enough of a balance to be entertaining. I'm usually not big on period piece movies, so I didn't really have high expectations before watching. Worth a watch to see the fantastic work of Glenn Close, but other than that this is pretty forgettable.
  • 366weirdmovies
    December 29, 2011
    366weirdmovies
    Albert Nobbs is a woman secretly living as a man in 19th century Dublin. Glenn Close plays Nobbs believably, but the character is so withdrawn, shy and delusional that it's painful to spend so much time with her; Janet McTeer steals Close's thunder as a more exuberant character ... read morein a similar situation.
  • jennifxu
    December 22, 2011
    jennifxu
    I only like the scenes between Glenn Close and Janet McTeer. The rest of the movie is rather/very dull.
  • fb100001050230219
    November 23, 2011
    fb100001050230219
    If there is one reason to see ''Albert Nobbs'', it's Glenn Close. Glenn Close is absolutely terrific in this period piece. Not only is her transformation to become this character remarkable, but her portrayal of a butler in 19th Century Ireland with a secret is incredible. What m... read moreakes it so great it that she gets us attached to Albert through her subtle facial expressions and mannerisms. It's an Oscar-worthy performance. The rest of the ensemble cast of ''Albert Nobbs'' are solid too.
    The film's story is compelling, Albert is a fascinating character and I myself was drawn to her tale throughout. Unfortunately, ''Albert Nobbs'' isn't a singular character study of Albert. It tries to be a multiple character study, exploring simply uninteresting characters that make certain scenes drag. There are also some tonal issues, with a few scenes proving very out of place.
    ''Albert Nobbs'' looks great. The make up is terrific, the cinematography, the costumes etc. all make the 19th Century setting convincing. It's good, not great though, but Glenn Close, she is magnificent.
  • fb720603734
    January 27, 2012
    fb720603734
    I've resisted ALBERT NOBBS until finally breaking down and seeing it, because I'm a guilt-ridden Independent Spirit Award voter who refuses to choose a winner in any particular category until I've seen every nominee. Janet McTeer gets the supporting actress nod here, so off to t... read morehe screening I dutifully went, despite having an aversion to top hat and corset "white people's problems" films and a somewhat unfounded distaste for Glenn Close, even though we delightfully share the same name. I loved her performance in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, but normally find her strident, theatrical, and humorless.

    So it was a bit of a chore to get me to sit down to watch ALBERT NOBBS, a 30 year passion project for Glenn Close about a woman who poses as a male butler in 19th Century Ireland in order to survive. Suspending one's disbelief is crucial here (as it was in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE and VICTOR/VICTORIA) because Close isn't credible as a man for a single second. That's not to say her performance isn't good, because I actually think she's great here. Muted, almost invisible, and with a palpable, hugely sympathetic fear of being discovered, Close is a case study in arrested development and survival instincts. Much like Chauncy Gardener in BEING THERE, Nobbs is a character who has put on a mask for so long, that she doesn't truly know how to interact in the real world. Think of it as the non-Jewish version of what Barbara Streisand did years ago. I call it GENTL.

    Visually, Nobbs disappears into the wallpaper, allowing a strong supporting cast to shine. Beloved for her Oscar-nominated turn in SHIRLEY VALENTINE, Pauline Collins is great as the pretentious, strict yet flirtatious manager of the Morrison Hotel, where many of the guests and workers have their share of secrets. It's not just Nobbs who is hiding something. Virtually everyone else is too. From the new painter, brilliantly played by Janet McTeer, to a quartet of guests, led by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who aren't the straight pair of couples they at first appear. Bronagh Gallagher is wonderful as a person very important to McTeer's character, proving that you can make an indelible performance out of a couple of scenes.

    Without giving too much away, I was really surprised by the sadness of this film. A story of missed opportunities, hiding, lost loves, betrayal, and the harsh reality under which women had to live, ALBERT NOBBS, touched me way more than I expected. Despite plot contrivances one could spot a mile (or a meter) away, I was moved. McTeer is particularly vivid as a woman who boldly seizes her moments in life instead of waiting for something that may never come. One of the best scenes in the film is when she and Nobbs change their appearances and run on the beach. Ironically, and a bit hilariously dressed as traditional women, the whiff of freedom they experience is palpable and simultaneously ironic. There's a very smart film here hidden underneath some Masterpiece Theatre-style trappings. I understand why it was Close's burning desire to get it to the screen, not so much for her scenery-chewing role (which it is not), but for the tribute it pays to women in our distant past.
  • fb100001056335116
    March 3, 2012
    fb100001056335116
    Purporting a vitreous gaze that congeals those who behold it in sheer bewilderment and projecting a guttural voice heavily straining to conceal a secret, "Albert Nobbs" is an oddity whose life, disappointingly, is far less compelling than meets the eye. The experiences and confli... read morections of such a visually flabbergasting protagonist contrast drastically in the film`s insipid and disjointed portrayal of other characters whose lives and appearances are far more dreary. Some of the lifelong ambitions of Albert Nobbs are merely touched upon and swiftly erased from memory and inevitably rendered void by a heap of bland occurrences that assuage the intended drama. Consequently, the thematic tribulation of existing in a sexist society is hardly accentuated. It seems "Albert Nobbs" is overly self-absorbed in its image and devotes little attention to developing its emotional profundity. On the other hand, Glenn Close skillfully steps into the shoes of an androgynous and awe-inspiring persona and baffles all spectators with her seamless transition into another, completely unrecognizable body. This is done in such flawlessness that when Albert Nobbs does wear a dress, one cannot help but think that he is witnessing someone cross-dress. Overall, "Albert Nobbs" is externally thrilling but internally dull.

View All Albert Nobbs Reviews

Critic Reviews

Kate Taylor
February 3, 2012
Kate Taylor, Globe and Mail

The film surrounding the performance is not always as strong, but the centre holds, and magnificently so. Full Review

Linda Barnard
February 2, 2012
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star

Albert is at the heart of it all and we see her through her own prism of vulnerability, resulting in a very human story about the search for love, acceptance and understanding of the self. Full Review

Dana Stevens
January 30, 2012
Dana Stevens, Slate

A movie that, like its title character, never quite dares to let itself discover what it really wants to be. Full Review

Anthony Lane
January 30, 2012
Anthony Lane, New Yorker

What you feel, watching Close, is not that you are watching gender being bent into new, absorbing shapes but that you might as well have stayed home and leafed through a book on Magritte. Full Review

Tom Long
January 27, 2012
Tom Long, Detroit News

"Albert Nobbs" is a film of great texture and tenderness, and the actors are a joy to behold. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
January 27, 2012
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

[It] sneaks up on the audience with the quiet discretion of the enigmatic protagonist at its center. And, like him, it contains multitudes beneath its prim surface. Full Review

Rafer Guzman
January 27, 2012
Rafer Guzman, Newsday

[A] funny, sorrowful, richly layered and tremendously moving film. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
January 26, 2012
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Characters as out of touch and desperate as Albert Nobbs awaken an instinctive doubt and distrust in an audience. Full Review

J. R. Jones
January 26, 2012
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Rodrigo Garcia [is] known for his female ensemble dramas but demonstrates no particular affinity for this material. Full Review

Peter Debruge
January 26, 2012
Peter Debruge, Variety

It's a career-crowning role for Glenn Close. Too bad the film is such a drag. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Dr. Holloran: Why aren't you in fancy dress?
    • Albert Nobbs: I'm a waiter.
    • Dr. Holloran: Well I'm a doctor. We are both disguised as ourselves.
    • Helen: You are the strangest man I have ever met.
    • Dr. Holloran: We are both disguised as ourselves.
Submit a Fact | View All

Albert Nobbs : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Albert Nobbs. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Albert Nobbs Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Albert Nobbs to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?