Develiker terrible... so disappointed.

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Matthew Luke Brady Albert Nobbs: "Life without decency is unbearable".The story is about a woman who struggles to find independence in 19th century Ireland and poses as a man so she can work as a butler at a top hotel. When she meets a painter it gives "Albert" the chance she needs to escape the lie she has been living.Albert Nobbs has been described as an Oscar bait movie that's only purpose of existing is to win prizes, and while I do agree it is a bit Oscar bait and the movie itself is quite forgettable, but I'll be lying if I say there wasn't anything good in it. Compare this to other Oscar bait movies we've had in the past, this one isn't that bad or pretentious. Glenn Close was unrecognizable in this movie. I really bought into her playing a man and it's not just by the make-up that sold the effect off, but the tone of her voice, the movement and the overall performance created the effect perfectly. I'm so shocked that Glenn Close has never won an Oscar yet, as she's been non-stop impressing me in every she's done (including this one). Glenn Close was absolutely outstanding in this movie. The make-up, the costumes and the rest of the cast were all great. These's not a single bad performance in this movie. The staging and the scenery was spot on. Sadly I wish the whole movie was great, but keep in mind that I don't think Albert Nobbs is a bad movie but the movie falls into the cliché gender or sexuality problems that every Oscar bait movie dose. Now I have seen many movies that dose focus on the gender and sexuality issues and the movies themselves were great, because those movies never tried the 'Give me awards' kind of movie, they were good movies and I could easily watch them again as a film, but movies like Albert Nobbs are the type of films that I'll only watch once and never again.Overall Albert Nobbs has fantastic performances from everyone, great make-up and scenery. Unfortunately the film itself isn't what I call "great", just forgettable and it sucks saying that since I know a lot of effort went into this movie.

StepsCheerBSB Glenn Close does a compelling job at portraying a man in this film. The film is truly about identity in the 19th century but could easily translate into today's times. What I enjoy about this film is it's different than the typical role reversal (woman dressing as a man and vice versa). Sure, it starts off as Albert (Glenn Close) as a woman portraying a man just to survive but what separates this film from the others is that Albert is attracted to a woman instead of a man. Here is where the identity part comes in, we get to see Albert go through the emotions of figuring out what defines him/her and what makes Albert comfortable.There is a ton of symbolism in this film. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays a small but significant role. He is only in a few scenes but each one is important. He is a viscount and a guest of the hotel. *spoiler* In the second scene, he is in a bathrobe and his friend was naked in the bed and says to him, "should we wake the girls?" that wouldn't mean anything but not only is he married but there are other allusions later in the film. In the following scene, which is a costume party for the guests, he is in a dress, while the viscountess is in his tuxedo. The final scene is him talking to the mistress about losing his key to the adjoining room; which alludes to the scene of them being naked. It seems like this character was brought in to show that when you have money, you have more freedom. To counter this, Albert couldn't even wear a dress in his own bedroom for fear of someone finding out he was a woman. The consequences were that he could not making a living vs. the viscount and viscountess wouldn't have that problem. I mentioned those scenes to also discuss sexuality. Again, both the viscount and viscountess have the freedom to explore both genders sexually. In this film, *spoiler* since Albert is attracted to a woman, s/he gets the chance to see what life would be like to marry a woman. S/he meets Hubert Page, whom is also a woman dressed as a man but is married to a woman. We get to see Albert courting another server/waitress/maid that works in the hotel. Since there is a vast age difference and lack of experience, the server (Helen) has to tell Albert what courting is like in the 19th century. Overall, a good film which raises questions about gender roles, expectations and identity.

literaterose There are a number of thoughtful, excellent reviews of Albert Nobbs already, and I confess that I doubt I can add substantially to them. I did want to note that, unlike several other reviewers, I found the spareness of Albert Nobb's story, as embodied remarkably by Glenn Close, to be extremely compelling rather than empty or limited. It stands, literally and significantly, in vivid contrast to the towering (in every sense!) presence of Hubert Page, played so magnificently by Janet McTeer--and that's part of the point.And now having said the above, I did want to comment on one tiny element in an otherwise very well written and thoughtful review here, by chaz-28, in which that reviewer suggested that camera tricks and/or forced perspective must have been used to create the illusion of McTeer's Mr. Page looming over other characters... Ms. McTeer is 6'1" tall, quite tall enough on her own to do all the looming/towering necessary without any cinematic magic! (I have a pretty good sense of her height, having both a son-in-law and ex who are/were around the same height.) It's a little funny, considering the subject matter of the film itself, to realize how hard it is for folks--even those very impressed with the work--to imagine that a woman might be... well, big as a man!In conclusion... I wholeheartedly recommend this film. It's a stellar example of deep character exploration and development, embedded in a sturdy, engrossing story. More than worth the watch.

Rich Wright From a casual observer's point of view, there's no way that Glenn Close of Janet McTeer (who both play women posing as men) could pass as the opposite sex... but that's not really the point, is it? If you can suspend your disbelief, their performances are very good... they have the mannerisms, the voice, the attire down perfectly. I just find it difficult to believe, in real life, an individual with no visible facial hair and such feminine features would fool anyone into thinking they were another gender, unless they were very dense. Oh well, a moot point... but one I make regardless.This is late 19th century Ireland, when women's options seemed to consist of stay-at-home mothers, prostitution or servitude. Albert Nobbs is a female who, because of an unfortunate incident when she was 14, decided to become a man. Alas, transgender surgery was a good few decades away... so she has no choice but wear a fancy get up with lots of padding each day to carry out this facade. Her scheme seems to be going well... she's been working as a butler for many years, and has nearly saved enough to buy her own little shop. The jig is up though, when the local painter accidentally sees her undressing. She is naturally distraught... but hold on... the colour dauber may have a few secrets of 'his' own...Poor, poor Albert Hobbs. She can just about carry across the illusion she's a fella... but has no idea about the way the rest of the world works. Just watch her attempts to woo a pregnant maid into matrimony... there's no way this shy, awkward, much older 'man' could end up with someone so young and pretty... particularly as she happens to have a boyfriend already. A violent and jealous one, at that. It all ends in a confrontation with tragic consequences... and a conclusion which is the very definition of bittersweet.So, don't expect a feel good time... but do look forward to a thoroughly engaging historical drama. 7/10