Imdb Ranking 6.6
In 19th century Dublin Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) works as a waiter in the Morrison Hotel run by Marge Baker. One day Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) is hired to paint some of the rooms in the hotal and Mrs. Baker has him share bed with Albert. Hubert discovers that Albert is a woman, and Albert begs Hubert not to tell. Albert has been pretending to be a man so he could have the job.
No one is more shocked than Albert when he finds out that Hubert is a woman too. Hubert was married to a man who was a painter and a drunk and a bully. She left him and took his things and took up with a woman named Cathleen, who was a dressmaker.
Albert has been saving his money and he is thinking of opening a tobacco shop. he could have a woman work at the counter. Hubert and Cathleen's relationship has given Albert ideas. Albert goes to visit Hubert and Cathleen at their home. Albert is possibly looking for a Cathleen of her own.
Albert tells Hubert her story. She was a bastard, and never knew her mother. The woman raising her died suddenly. Her real family had money and got her a convent education. When her real mother died the money was gone, and she had to go find work. She was raped by five men when she was fourteen. Soon after that she pretended to be a man to get a waitering job. She's been a waiter ever since.
Albert thinks one of the waitresses at the hotel, Helen, would make a good wife and partner in the shop. Helen so no, but her shady boyfriend Joe thinks that maybe they could get some money out of Albert for the trip to America he has been dreaming about.
Albert tells Helen about his idea for a shop with a place to live above it. A typhoid epidemic breaks out and some of the staff, including Albert are infected. Albert recovers but the hotel empties out and the public health department closes the hotel down.
Helen becomes pregnant and tells an initially unhappy Joe. Joe eventually tells Helen he will take care of her. Albert goes to visit Hubert and Cathleen has died. Albert offers to open a shop with Hubert is too devastated. Albert and Hubert put on some dresses Cathleen has made and go out for a walk.
Albert proposes to the pregnant Helen. He has put a deposit down on the shop. Albert tells Helen that Joe will leave her and go to America but Helen says he will not leave her. Joe is afraid that he is going to end up like his abusive father. When he starts arguing with Helen, Albert intervenes. When Joe pushes Helen, Albert jumps on his back and Joe flings Albert off and he hits his head on the wall.
Albert goes to his bed and he dies that night. Later Mrs. Baker finds Albert's money and fixes up the hotel, Joe goes to America and Mrs. Baker hires Hubert to paint the whole hotel.
Glenn Close and Janet McTeer were both nominated for the Academy Award in the categories of Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in this wonderfully acted movie.
A good movie, that perhaps could have been dedicated to all the people who had to hide who they really were, because of the times in which they lived,
