Author Charles Dickens has been renowned as one of the greatest writers and philanthropists of the Victorian era. Despite these wondrous achievements, the new film The Invisible Woman chooses to explore some of the greyer aspects of his life. Specifically, the story of his affair with a teenage actress. While methodically slow-paced at times, director and star Ralph Fiennes has created an interesting film that effectively deals with subject matter not often explored in cinema – that of the life of a kept woman.
The story is told from the point of view of the emotionally distant Nelly (Felicity Jones). When a visitor casually brings up the subject of the famed author, it triggers memories from her past. In particular, her introduction to Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) by her mother Frances (Kristin Scott Thomas) while performing one of the writer’s plays. Star struck, Nelly is overwhelmed by Dickens’s large and buoyant public persona, while he becomes equally infatuated with her, despite being married. Against her mother’s wishes, the two grow closer, resulting in actions that haunt Nelly for years.
Great care taken to explore the characters in this performance-centered film. Of course, the cast are excellent, fully enjoying a movie with its attention focused strictly on them. The naturalistic lighting is dim at times, creating a environment of despair. There are numerous long takes that hang on the actor’s faces for long spans of time. Sometimes they seem to stretch too long, but the tactic does manage to convey both the button-down conventions of the period with the inner turmoil of its characters at the same time. And, in spite of Nelly being an icy character, Jones manages to make her plight relatable and sympathetic.
The pacing and approach could have been too much, but the main story is intriguing enough to hold interest. It’s hard to imagine how a woman could find herself hidden away from the world. Yet as presented, it becomes obvious that one poor choice can paint a young woman in a corner quite easily. And as the relationship in the film grows more complicated, it becomes fascinating to see how the lives of the two lead characters begin to fracture. While Dickens speaks eloquently of breaking social conventions, he still seems unwilling to incur the wrath of his admirers by going public. These men ultimately do not have to pay the price for breaking collective rules. As time passes and Nelly is kept out of public sight with their relationship hidden, regret and resentment truly sets in.
As expected, The Invisible Woman is an exceptionally well acted film. But it’s definitely an acquired taste. If one doesn’t mind the measured, very low-key approach to the story of a woman trying to break free of a tragic past and embrace the present, this haunting period drama should provide plenty of food for thought.