Review of The Invisible Woman by Ralph Fiennes

I missed this film when it came out in theaters. I wished I could have seen it. The production values are so high. The costumes, the hairstyles, the decor, the furniture, everything about it takes you into the Victorian era and Dickens World. I must say, well done!

The movie is good, but it gets a little too weepy. I don't know much about Dickens and have only seen his works on screen or stage. I am a great admirer of David Lean's Great Expectations which I thought was excellent. Much of what happens in the film would be so controversial in Victorian times, and perhaps, still is today. I think Fiennes turns in a fine performance and should be commended on directing too. Several of the shots, especially the one at the race track struck me as paintings right out of a museum. The mise en scene was excellent. I think it should also be said that this was difficult material as period pieces often are. How do you create the past? The accents, the behaviors, etc must be spot on. And it was.

The Nelly character and her relationship with Fiennes was the major conflict in this story. I really liked the scene where she refuses to be his "whore." I thought the talk they had was full of dramatic intensity. He finally agrees to live with her. To leave his wife which was very controversial in Victorian times. It reminds of John Stuart Mill who waited for his love to leave her husband for 23 years! Which makes the scene in the hallway where Nelly and Dickens are merely touching hands and smearing each others cheeks so tense. Rules of relationships and marriage were much stricter in Victorian times than present day. Perhaps not with the Cameron prime ministership.

They finally end up in bed. The love making scene is also very gentle, very slow. It's totally unlike sex scenes popular films. Yet, that's why I like the film. It shows how things in Dickens' times were. Like going back in time if only for two hours.

Very good film. Ralph Fiennes always does quality work. His last film, Coriolanus was his directorial debut. It was very different from this film. It was full of action scenes. The Invisible Woman was much more romantic and heartfelt. I enjoyed both and hope he continues to make films.