Glenn Close stars as Albert Nobbs, available on Blu Ray combo pack May 8, 2012. Courtesy of eOne Films
Albert Nobbs asks the viewer to venture into a world of suspended disbelief, one where the women dressed as men simply look far too feminine to believe…mostly.
A period piece with a twist is how I see Albert Nobbs, the story of a woman living as a man in order to survive the male dominated society of 19th century Ireland.
With all the media attention surrounding this film, the surprise does not rest in the main character’s sexual identity, instead the meat of the story exists in how Albert Nobbs deals with the world in which she is trapped.
While there are some excellent performances (two of which received Oscar nominations), the film lacks that special ingredient that would take it from good to great.
However, the screenplay is well constructed, featuring interweaving storylines between the hospitality workers in the hotel that hold our interest and tickles our curiosity.
What will further your curiosity is the complete disappointment the Blu Ray + DVD combo pack delivers. The video and audio presentation of the feature is solid, but the measly special feature set is baffling. For a film nominated for Best Achievement in Makeup, there isn’t a single featurette providing insight into the process. Instead we receive disjointed Interviews with the cast and crew, and three deleted scenes: one of which should have been left in the final cut, the other two deserved their snip.
Bottom Line: If you enjoyed the film and have no interest in learning more about the process, this is the perfect Blu Ray release for you.
Chloe Grace Moretz stars as "Hit-Girl" in Kick-Ass.
Sitting down with Kick-Ass star, Chloë Grace Moretz, was an absolute pleasure. The 13-year-old actress, who plays “Hit Girl” in the action film, entered the room and examined our audio recorders, telling us which ones she thought were the best. She knew a surprising amount about them and decided that mine looked the cheapest – which it was.
Chloe began by describing her training for the film. It was really fun. I actually trained at the Toronto Circus School. It was really awesome. I did martial arts, gymnastics, ballet, circus training and tumbling. I did a bunch of stuff.
With the stunts, how much of it was you and how much was your stunt double? Basically, all of it was me except for running up the wall and slamming on the table. Stuff like that, which was a little too dangerous. One of my stunt doubles was supposed to run up a bookcase, but he fell and smacked his head and lost his memory for about a week. It was so scary, but he’s okay now.
Tell us about how you went about figuring out your character? Well, my brother is my acting coach. What we do is we treat it as if we’re painting a canvas. First we outline it and I learn my lines, giving my take on it. Then Trevor (her brother) goes over it and really paints it in, giving it the fine detail. That’s basically what we do and I hope you guys like it.
Did you read the Kick-Ass comic book before you began filming? Actually, by the time we had already finished the plot line, and the comic was only on Issue 2. So we couldn’t really get too far in the comics. Mark Miller (comic author) told us what he was thinking and that he was planning on changing the comic book a little more, compared to the movie. He was also on the set a lot.
How important is your brother in your life? My brother is a key part of my life, because without him, how would I be here. I want him to direct me in a movie one day that my other brother writes with my mom, which she can also produce.
With all the controversy involving your character, how are you and your family dealing with it? Well, there’s controversy everywhere. My mom actually read the script before I did and so did my brother, so we knew what the role was. They both thought it was an amazing role, so we went with it. Everything that was in the movie was in the script and I knew that I wanted to do it, so we put our heart and soul into it. I knew that this character was different from most kid roles and that’s really why I wanted to do it. We talked about every [curse] word in it and my parents had to explain to me what some of them were. I can honestly say in real life that I have never uttered a curse word, even behind closed doors. I have been raised to know that cursing makes you look like an unintelligent person.
If you had a chance to say something to those people who criticise your character for being foul-mouthed and violent at such a young age, what would that be? It’s a movie! It’s something that you have to pay to get into the theatre to see; you’re not forced to watch it. Even if you see it for free, you make the decision to go see it. I honestly don’t care about your opinion unless you see the movie.
Well said, Chloë!
Seeing as how you’ve played a victim in The Amityville Horror and an action hero in this movie, which role do you prefer? I definitely don’t like being the damsel in distress. I rather be the role that takes charge and is for girl empowerment.
Are there any films that you would like to star in, past or present? Yeah, definitely. Gone with the Wind as Scarlett O’Hara, Pride and Prejudice as Elizabeth Bennett, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s as Holly Golightly.
Who do you admire and want to emulate in your career? Natalie Portman and Meryl Streep. Definitely, those are the No. 1 careers that I like most, because they pick very unique roles and don’t stick to the same thing. I have a fantasy film, a street kid role, a role as a vampire, and an action hero. I try and make my roles very diverse to balance my career out in good ways.
Are there any plans for a sequel to Kick-Ass? I don’t know, but I’ll tell you if there is a sequel, you’ll see me on a purple Ducati.
This promising young actress shows an unbelievably high level of maturity at the age of 13. Look out for her to be one of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood with an upcoming role in Martin Scorsese’s next film, Hugo. She delivers the most memorable performance in Maple’s incredible new action flick, Kick-Ass.
WARNING! This video contains coarse language and brutal violence.
