Albert Nobbs

Albert Nobbs (Glen Close) is a hard working waiter at a drab hotel in Dublin. Everyone loves the dedicated man and he keeps to himself with his room and dreams. The main reason for his introversion is that he is harboring a secret. Albert is actually a woman and the harsh 19th century Irish economy forces him to take up the role of a man. He is very comfortable in that role but of course society would not have that if it came to light. This is the setup for the film and what follows is the exploration of the question of gender in the face of society's insistence of it being binary in nature. 

Rating: * * *

The Master

Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a World War II veteran, struggles with a post war world when he meets the enigmatic Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Dodd is the crack head leader of a new religion called "The Cause" and Quell falls under his thrall. Quell though sticks to his hard drinking and philandering ways and that forms the background of the film using it as a window in to the psyche of the cult. Brilliant performances all round that got all the main actors Oscar nominations. In spite of that and the well thought out script, the film fails to engage the way a film of this calibre is supposed to.

Rating: * * +