Albert Nobbs, 2011
Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) works as a butler in a hotel in Ireland. Albert is biologically female, but has lived as a man for over 30 years as a means of survival. Albert's routine becomes complicated when he meets another person, Mr. Page (Janet McTeer) who is in the same situation but has a wife and home. Albert begins to try and romance one of the maids at the hotel, Helen (Mia Wasikowska), but Helen is in a hot and heavy relationship with new employee Joe (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).
This film is well-acted and has an interesting story, but it can't overcome some unfortunate tropes in its last act.
There's a really fascinating thread that runs through this film regarding the way that Albert regards his identity. While on the surface this looks like either a story of a woman adopting a male persona to survive in a patriarchal society or a look at someone living their life as a transman, I think that it's more accurate to say that this is a film about someone who is neurodivergent and the interesting way that this intersects with their decision to live as a gender that doesn't match their biological sex. The contrast with the outlook of McTeer's character gives a great basis to see why this is more a story about Nobbs' thought process.
Right from the start, the character of Albert started pinging my radar about the kind of behaviors you might see from someone on the autism spectrum. The meticulous bookkeeping, for starters, but also the way that Albert conceives of what it means to "act like a man" and even further how things are meant to go between a man and a woman. Albert claims to love Helen, but that love is more about how Helen fits into Albert's dreams of owning a shop and having a wife. I think it's pretty significant that Albert simply assumes Helen will marry him because it's how Albert has envisioned things. What Helen wants, how she wants to live her life, is something Albert never thinks to ask. When Helen observes that Albert won't even try to kiss her or put his arm around her waist, an appalled Albert notes, "But that's for when we're married!".
The way I read the film, Albert adopted a male persona out of necessity---having suffered some horrific abuses as a teenage girl---and is now trying to follow "the rules" of being a man as they best understand them. But there's a literalness to Albert's approach that speaks to Albert being neither a straight woman trapped in male clothing nor a queer person living out a dream of having a female partner.
This is most evident in the contrast with McTeer's character. Hubert Page is definitely a (fabulous) queer lady, who has managed to find a female partner and keep up the facade of a male persona. But there is clear passion between Hubert and his wife, Cathleen (an adorable Bronagh Gallagher), and even some teasing jealousy when Hubert talks about Helen. When Albert notes that they expected Hubert would dress as a woman inside the house, Hubert notes with a sigh that it's too dangerous because the neighbors might see something. For Hubert, the male exterior is an illusion that affords some degree of financial and social freedom. In one telling scene, Hubert reveals his "real" (female) name to Albert. Asking, "What's your real name?", a visibly perplexed Albert replies, "Albert."
So, honestly, all of this was really interesting to me. There's some interesting data about the overlaps between neurodiversity and gender/sexuality diversity, and I think you see that in a fascinating way in the characters of Albert and Hubert. So a movie just about Hubert helping Albert try to navigate finding love would have been awesome.
Unfortunately, the plot around them is frustrating and hews in an annoying way toward "bury your gays" territory. Joe wants to go to America, and he convinces Helen to string Albert along for money and bottles of whiskey and boxes of chocolate. The interactions between Helen and Albert are uncomfortable. The interactions between Helen and Joe are shrill. Who Albert is and how Albert understands the world and how Hubert starts to shift what Albert imagines life can be is really interesting. But all this crying and moaning and stiff walking dates totally takes away from letting the interesting central character shine and evolve.
The last 15-20 minutes, for me, were actively tone deaf. They push Albert into freakshow territory, even further displacing the story from Albert's unique point of view. And I was downright baffled by a part where a character who is meant to be clear-eyed and sympathetic, a doctor played by Brendan Gleeson, observes "I don't know why people choose to live such miserable lives." My man, you think people WANT to live this way?
Close is really good in her role, and her scenes with McTeer are excellent. Wasikowska does succeed in portraying Helen as a complex, conflicted character. But there's a lot of plot junk stuffed into this film that could have simply been a fascinating character study. Albert deserved better.
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