The Invisible Woman
Directed by:
Ralph FiennesScreenplay:
Abi MorganCinematography:
Rob HardyComposer:
Ilan EshkeriCast:
Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Fairley, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Hollander, Tom Burke, Perdita Weeks, Charlotte Hope, John Kavanagh, Joanna Scanlan (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
Ralph Fiennes brings to life a hidden chapter from the life of Charles Dickens - his thirteen-year affair with Nelly Ternan. Fiennes both directs and stars in Abi Morgan’s moving adaptation of Claire Tomalin’s book, which sensitively depicts a hitherto underplayed factor of Dickens’ great career, as he strives to keep secret an affair with a woman twenty-seven years his junior (played by Felicity Jones). It was a subterfuge that would affect the tenor of his much of his later work. Fiennes elegantly mounts an intelligent and adult biopic that features some exceptional performances, not least from Fiennes himself in the lead role, which he had to be persuaded to adopt having originally only signed on as director. (British Film Institute (BFI))
(more)Reviews (3)
Ralph Fiennes is an outstanding actor, one of the best of our time, but unfortunately, not a great director. This is his second film that feels like a traditional, almost Shakespearean dialogue-heavy piece, set in a period atmosphere but with situations that are completely baffling. The film drags on, and when it finally tries to hit you with tragedy, it does so in such a clumsy way that you’re more likely to laugh than cry.
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Tasteful, clear, and sensitive. This is exactly what you get in this biography of Charles Dickens as seen through the eyes of Ralph Fiennes. I recommend it particularly to fans of Great Expectations. Austen's biography Becoming Jane is similarly good.
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Ralph Fiennes will likely be well-regarded by critics because he directs films that fairly accurately capture the time period and environment, and are capable of evoking strong emotions, even though they don't try to be pleasant to the viewer. Instead, they seem to deter through their pace and structure. I liked Coriolanus a bit more, but even that isn't a film for the masses. I wasn't impressed with the film.
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