Not a gender swapped re-imagining of H.G. Well's classic tale, or even a spin-off for The Fantastic Four's Sue Richards, The Invisible Woman, based on the novel of the same name by Claire Tomalin, is in fact the story of Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones), the secret mistress of Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes), a woman the renowned author went to great lengths to keep out of the public eye. The second directorial effort for Fiennes, after Coriolanus, it builds on the promise he had shown in his feature debut, coming together as a deeply emotional, and beautifully shot, experience.
The first thing that hits you about The Invisible Woman is how unrelentingly bleak it is. This isn't a easy watch, with constantly jarring flash forwards and flash backs, and a suffocatingly dark tone, but it is an extremely rewarding one. It is not you're usual period drama, eschewing the fanciful tone we have come accustomed to from this genre. The direction is very restrained here, the film more concerned with the smaller moments. It's economical storytelling at it's finest, with shots speaking volumes so the movie isn't bogged with needless exposition, and we can cut to the heart of the scene every time. The story moves at a deliberate pace, taking its time with Nelly and Charles' courtship, so we can be fully invested in and care about the characters. The camera work here is exquisite, each shot beautifully and intimately framed, going as far as making us feel like intruders from time to time.
Taking the title role, this movie belong to Felicity Jones. Playing a Nelly of two different times, both as a young woman and in her later life years after Dickens' death, she embodies two totally different characters, at once both passionate and open, and stoic and guarded. She carries the movie at times with just a look, and grabs you from the opening. You end feeling sorry for Nelly most of all, being a young woman swept up in the machinations of a much older man. Fiennes also excels as Dickens, an initial whirlwind of energy, which soon gives way to a deeper, more personal performance. At his most despicable, there is a spark of likability there. There is also fine support from the like of Kristen Scott Thomas, Tom Hollander, and especially Joanna Scanlon, who puts in an heartbreaking performance as Dickens' wife, with her perfectly wordless playing of one scene sending you over the edge.
A bleak, beautifully shot, and superbly acted period piece, The Invisible Woman is a deeply affecting and rewarding piece of cinema.
The first thing that hits you about The Invisible Woman is how unrelentingly bleak it is. This isn't a easy watch, with constantly jarring flash forwards and flash backs, and a suffocatingly dark tone, but it is an extremely rewarding one. It is not you're usual period drama, eschewing the fanciful tone we have come accustomed to from this genre. The direction is very restrained here, the film more concerned with the smaller moments. It's economical storytelling at it's finest, with shots speaking volumes so the movie isn't bogged with needless exposition, and we can cut to the heart of the scene every time. The story moves at a deliberate pace, taking its time with Nelly and Charles' courtship, so we can be fully invested in and care about the characters. The camera work here is exquisite, each shot beautifully and intimately framed, going as far as making us feel like intruders from time to time.
Taking the title role, this movie belong to Felicity Jones. Playing a Nelly of two different times, both as a young woman and in her later life years after Dickens' death, she embodies two totally different characters, at once both passionate and open, and stoic and guarded. She carries the movie at times with just a look, and grabs you from the opening. You end feeling sorry for Nelly most of all, being a young woman swept up in the machinations of a much older man. Fiennes also excels as Dickens, an initial whirlwind of energy, which soon gives way to a deeper, more personal performance. At his most despicable, there is a spark of likability there. There is also fine support from the like of Kristen Scott Thomas, Tom Hollander, and especially Joanna Scanlon, who puts in an heartbreaking performance as Dickens' wife, with her perfectly wordless playing of one scene sending you over the edge.
A bleak, beautifully shot, and superbly acted period piece, The Invisible Woman is a deeply affecting and rewarding piece of cinema.
