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ALBERT NOBBSMovie Reviews
Drama about a 19th-century Irishwoman who disguises herself as a man in order to work as a butler in an upscale hotel. Cast:Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson, Janet McTeerDirector:Rodrigo GarcíaRelease Date:December 21, 2011DVD Release:May 15, 2012From:Roadside AttractionsRating:RLength:1 hr 54 min
Albert Nobbs played in key cities to good not great reviews. • Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times, "It's a challenge for Close to make a creature so tightly controlled into a sympathetic character, and yet the actress does so with a lovely subtlety..." • And Noel Murray wrote for the AV Club, "...it's hard to believe that the people around the heroine haven't figured her out yet.... Close isn't all that convincing as a man." More Reviews Below...
Albert Nobbs Positive Reviews (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: MODERATE(cg) "...supporting players bring the film to life from time to time... But 'Albert Nobbs' is clearly Close's show -- for better and for worse."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 01/26/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...slow-moving... primarily serves as a showcase for Close's nuanced performance. Still, as a cowriter, the actress should have given Albert more heart and soul."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 112 words, 01/26/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...a damp little trifle... I don't know why Close is keen to play such a recessive wisp of a man, but I admire how committed she is to her bowler hat."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 01/06/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "Close's range, energy, originality, humor and intelligence merit serious Oscar attention.... this quietly devastating film goes bone-deep."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 152 words, 12/09/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The ensemble cast is, for the most part, convincing... But the mystery inherent in Nobbs' character remains frustratingly obfuscated."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 12/21/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it is Janet McTeer who brings the film such happiness and life as it has, because the tragedy of 'Albert Nobbs' is that there can be no happiness in her life."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 787 words, 01/27/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The film's greatest strength and weakness relate to the title character, whose passivity and emotional blankness make him an intriguing study in repression but a difficult focal point."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 878 words, 12/29/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...lively and touching.... Glenn Close imparts a mysterious glow to Albert's smallest gestures and actions, balancing nimbly on the line between comedy and pathos."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 822 words, 12/21/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "...a flawed but beautifully acted film... There comes a point where it seems as if every deep-voiced man in the film may reveal themselves, Monty Python-style, to be women."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 413 words, 12/23/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "This may be Close's most finely articulated performance, and it is certainly the most difficult to watch. It is also one of her least convincing."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 823 words, 12/23/11
Sara Stewart, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...you'd think the 'Sarah Plain and Tall' actress Glenn Close would be a good candidate for drag.... it's hard to believe her fellow staffers are buying this."(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 487 words, 12/21/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "For a short story expanded to feature length, 'Albert Nobbs' accommodates an awful lot of narrative complication, though Albert remains a watchful, often mute figure."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 390 words, 01/27/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: OUTSTANDING(cg) "This overlooked film is one of the year's best, full of humor, sorrow and beautiful performances from Close and McTeer."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 332 words, 01/27/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it is Janet McTeer who brings the film such happiness and life as it has, because the tragedy of 'Albert Nobbs' is that there can be no happiness in her life."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 787 words, 01/27/12
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Close's prosthetic makeup renders her face too immobile... the material -- based on a novella by George Moore published in the 1927 collection 'Celibate Lives' -- deserves better."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 12/21/11
Kate Taylor, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "The film's success depends not on us wishing our liberalism onto the 19th-century, but at observing something universal in suffering caused by sexual inequity."(See all of Kate Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 664 words, 02/03/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a quiet, minor-key work.... But Close's performance as this poor, wounded fellow resonates with depth and poignancy."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 412 words, 01/27/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "Close makes it impossible to look at Albert and not see some reflection of our own humanity. That's acting, folks."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 529 words, 01/27/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Albert is not confused about his gender, nor his sexuality. His confusion runs deeper -- after all this time, he is confused about his identity, period."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 561 words, 01/27/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "Close's performance is the more impressive, but McTeer's is the warmer and more expansive. (Both actresses were nominated for Oscars, and rightly so.)"(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 841 words, 01/27/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...even as Close sometimes fails to convince as Albert, at least the movie boasts a lovely evocation of old Dublin, and a perfect crowd of supporting characters."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 500 words, 12/20/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's a challenge for Close to make a creature so tightly controlled into a sympathetic character, and yet the actress does so with a lovely subtlety..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 01/27/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...there are nice turns by Brendan Gleeson, Mia Wasikowska and Pauline Collins. Like Albert himself, the film isn't showy, but it's got quality and heart."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 209 words, 01/27/12
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: MODERATE(cg) "Close's performance is technically perfect and emotionally pinched, which is exactly what her role calls for, but it doesn't make a compelling movie."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 453 words, 01/26/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...may not be a perfect film, but it's darn near a perfectly acted film.... a film of great texture and tenderness, and the actors are a joy to behold."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 305 words, 01/27/12
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "Glenn Close understands this confused and yet courageous woman, and it shows in every flutter of her eyelids.... a bittersweet film..."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 531 words, 01/27/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Close's prosthetic makeup renders her face too immobile... the material -- based on a novella by George Moore published in the 1927 collection 'Celibate Lives' -- deserves better."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 12/21/11
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...somehow the narrative, from a novella by Ireland's George Moore, never quite becomes as moving as one would wish, despite its unquestionable sincerity."(See all of Gerald Peary's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 114 words, 01/26/12
Noel Murray, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "The problem is that it's hard to believe that the people around the heroine haven't figured her out yet. Even with prosthetics, Close isn't all that convincing as a man."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 325 words, 09/13/11
Michelle Orange, Movieline: GOOD(cg) "...a mild and mildly stirring adaptation of the George Moore short story... It's all very decent, in other words, when it seems it might have been much more."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 803 words, 12/21/11
R. Kurt Osenlund, Slant: WEAK(cg) "Garcia opts for a nearly airless tone, presenting a look that's sadly un-cinematic... a collection of performers that seem to be operating on very different planes..."(See all of R. Kurt Osenlund's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 939 words, 12/20/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "McTeer has the best role and consequently hijacks the story.... by the end, you wish they'd made a movie called 'Hubert Page' instead."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 538 words, 01/26/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...lively and touching.... Glenn Close imparts a mysterious glow to Albert's smallest gestures and actions, balancing nimbly on the line between comedy and pathos."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 822 words, 12/21/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: FAIR "...from the opening shot of a guttering flame, 'Albert Nobbs' prefers to take its cue -- timorous, subdued, and reluctant to risk a smile -- from the title character."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 709 words, 01/30/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "This may be Close's most finely articulated performance, and it is certainly the most difficult to watch. It is also one of her least convincing."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 823 words, 12/23/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: MODERATE "...genteel, well-crafted, mostly sexless and frequently dull... like its title character, never quite dares to let itself discover what it really wants to be."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 918 words, 01/27/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: FAIR "It's a career-crowning role for Glenn Close. Too bad the film is such a drag.... A wee bit of humor would have gone a long way in this dour affair..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 987 words, 09/03/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "...curious... generates a degree of engagement by virtue of its sheer oddness and the carefully calibrated performances of Glenn Close and Janet McTeer."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,188 words, 09/03/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "This may be Close's most finely articulated performance, and it is certainly the most difficult to watch. It is also one of her least convincing."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 823 words, 12/23/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "Close renders an admirably subtle and restrained performance, one that gains cumulative power from the many small details of which it is composed."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 11/01/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...lively and touching.... Glenn Close imparts a mysterious glow to Albert's smallest gestures and actions, balancing nimbly on the line between comedy and pathos."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 822 words, 12/21/11
15.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Albert Nobbs's reviews are separated by an average 15.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Albert Nobbs (46 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Albert Nobbs's reviews cover 94.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 24,558 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 534 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Albert Nobbs Coverage, Volume & Length (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 23 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Albert Nobbs's reviews on average broke 23 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Albert Nobbs's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Albert Nobbs (46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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