The Flowers of War

Albert NobbsIn Victorian-era Dublin, the most conscientious waiter at a staid middle-class hotel is in reality a woman (Glenn Close), forced years ago to conceal her gender and identity just to avoid prostitution, exploitation or the poor house. Now the charade has gone on so long that she/he seems almost to have no identity at all; others in the hotel talk about this “queer little man,” and we in 2012 wince at the double meaning. Directed by Rodrigo García and written by Close and John Banville (from George Moore’s story), the movie is a nearly plotless character study, a thoughtful examination of the attempt to adjust to a society that sees only what it wants to see, and the consequences thereof. It’s fascinating, but in the end, we’re as frustrated as Nobbs, with no more sense of his/her true self than she/he has. J.L.