By REBECCA LENZINI
Contributor, SNSPost
Founder, SeriousMovieLover.com

ALBERT NOBBS (2011/IN THEATERS) Congratulations are in order for Glenn Close who has been working for years to create this film after playing the part of Albert Nobbs on stage in 1982. Set in 19^th century Dublin, the movie tells the story of Albert, who works as a waiter in an upper middle-class residential hotel owned and run by Mrs. Baker (Pauline Collins). Albert is “an odd little man,” according to both hotel guests and staff, but he’s good as his job and attentive in his own way. Little do they know just how “odd” he is—since he’s in fact not a man at all, but a woman, who has been disguised for over 30 years without detection. Exceedingly quiet, Albert observes much and says little, but up in his room he is stashing away his tips under the floorboards. Life seems to be moving as normal until one day when Mrs. Baker assigns him a roommate in the form of Mr. Page, a painter working in the hotel for a day or so. Albert is petrified of being discovered but instead finds a kindred spirit in Page (a very strong Janet McTeer) and begins to dream of using his savings to buy a little shop and start a new life. As part of that life, he’ll need a wife and so he also begins to pursue the young and high-spirited waitress Helen (Mia Wasikowska) who is already in love with the handsome “waster” Joe (Aaron Johnson) who works as the handyman for the establishment. It’s an odd little movie with the feel of a BBC period production.  The costumes and detail are wonderful, and the performances of the ensemble cast (which includes Brendan Gleeson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers among others) are uniformly strong. Still, it’s hard to identify with the story. Perhaps it’s best to appreciate it as the labor of love it is for Glenn Close—she not only stars as the title character but also is one of the producers, co-wrote the screenplay, and even wrote the lyrics for “Lay Your Head Down,” sung by Sinead O’Connor during the closing credits.  You have to admire that much dedication and of course, we’ll be seeing Ms. Close at the Oscars where she is nominated for Best Actress. Good luck to her!

Grade: B

BTW:  Janet McTeer is also up for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and for the same award from the Independent Spirits.

ALSO:  The movie is up for a 3rd Oscar for Makeup.  To learn more about the transformation of Glenn Close into Albert Nobbs, be sure to watch the featurette at IMDB.