THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (2013) – The Review

From the title of the new film THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, movie goers may think they’re seeing yet another follow-up to the H.G. Wells inspired Universal monster classic THE INVISIBLE MAN, the James Whale film that was the debut of Claude Raines. After all, that studio did a flick by that title in 1940 that went for laughs instead of chills. But this new effort is not full of floating objects and bandaged menace. This is actually a biography of a person who was so regulated to the shadows that she was almost unseen. In telling her story we get another view of a  more celebrated historical figure, similar to what was done in W.C. FIELDS AND ME (1976) and 2000’s THIRTEEN DAYS (with Jack and Bobby Kennedy). This new film is the story of Ellen or Nelly Ternan and her clandestine relationship with the revered author Charles Dickens. Over 150 years ago, he was very close to being a media superstar, but now, thanks to director/star Ralph Fiennes, we get to see a more personal side of the man who gave the world so many timeless novels. Turns out his life was just as dramatic as any of his still-studied works of fiction.

We first meet Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones) as she briskly walks along the seashore. She works at a nearby boys’ school where she directs the young men in a play based on a Dickens story. At a faculty reception after the performance, she states that she made the acquaintance of the celebrated author during her childhood. But a flashback reveals that she is not being completely honest. During her late teens Nelly was part of an acting family troupe along with her two sisters and managed by her ambitious mother Frances (Kristen Scott Thomas). A last-minute booking puts them in a production written by and starring the famous Charles Dickens (Fiennes). At a party after the play’s conclusion Dickens takes a personal interest in the reticent, shy young Nelly despite his long-standing marriage to Catherine (Joanna Scanlan), the mother of his ten children. Through the years he pursues her until he separates from his family (divorce was not a true option then) and lives with Nelly in France as his mistress under another name. Year later, in her new life at the school, Nelly is haunted by the past and fearful  that an inquisitive reverend will unearth her secret life.

Ms. Jones, so terrific in LIKE CRAZY, adds another great performance to her roster with the lead role of a conflicted, reluctant concubine. In the “modern time” framing sequences she attempts to be aloof and evasive while masking the heartbreak of her scandalous past. During the main bulk of the tale, Jones shows us how the shy young woman (odd, for an actress, but offstage she simply fades away) begins to speak up for herself as she realizes that she’s become the obsession of a powerful man. Nelly has a strong sense of propriety, but is moved by the devotion of the great author. And later, when her career stalls, she believes that this relationship is her only option. Fiennes presents a vibrant portrait of a nineteenth century “rock star” as he performs excerpts from his works to enthusiastic sell-out audiences (he’s mobbed when he’s spotted attending a horserace). Away from the footlights he still dazzles as the life of whatever party he attends, charming everyone in his wake. But there’s something about this fragile young lady. Perhaps she was a way of somehow recapturing his youth, of revisiting a simpler time before the fame. And the family. As the head of the family Joanna Scanlan is heartbreaking as a woman trying to hold on to her dignity while being publicly humiliated by the man to whom she has devoted her life. Catherine knows she must share his talent with the world, but still hopes that he will finally return home. A first glance she may seem dull and stodgy, but we witness her strength and nobility. She fell in love with the eloquent charmer long ago and understands Nelly’s attraction, but this compassion doesn’t ease her own pain. Scott Thomas is also compelling as the mother wanting all that’s best for her daughter, while realizing her choice will offer some security but little chance at true happiness.

Mr. Fiennes proves himself a fine director by not only assembling and guiding this gifted cast (himself included), but presenting a story that reflects life in all its shades of gray. No clearcut heroes and villains here. Particularly with Dickens himself. We see him work to raise funds for the down-trodden people living on the streets who inspired many of his characters (like Oliver Twist). It’s shocking that a man of such kindness can be so brutally cruel to the mother of his many children (he forces Catherine to hand deliver a birthday present to Nelly). The sets, costumes and scenery are superb, but Fiennes never lets the Victorian trappings overwhelm this personal story (we only see the aftermath of a horrific accident instead of CGI-enhanced destructive set-piece). THE INVISIBLE WOMAN not only gives us new insight of the celebrity who work is still regaled, but it presents a fairly contemporary struggle of a woman who finds the strength to not be defined by her past as she embarks on a better, brighter future.

4 Out of 5

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Plaza Frontenac Cinemas