This reviewer loves a vast majority of Charles Dickens' work, loving his ability to create rich complex characters, an unparallelled attention to detail to the extent it feels like you're there in the story and while long and sometimes sprawling his stories are so multi-layered and compelling. So seeing a film based on his life and this particular aspect of Dickens' life was immediately appealing.
While The Invisible Woman won't (and clearly judging from some of the reviews here, and their criticisms are understandable it isn't) be for all tastes, and while it has flaws and it feels like there is something missing it was to me a good film with many merits, which have been acknowledged by those who didn't like it. Getting the criticisms out of the way, I do agree about the film having some abrupt narrative shifts that gives it a jumpy feel, it's never incoherent, just that it was a little difficult sometimes to keep up with what were the early scenes and what were the later ones. And also that the film drags in places, not helped by some instances of excessively slow or jerky editing/shots or scenes that go on for too long. This is particularly true with the scene where Dickens and Nelly get intimate which was overlong and was really not needed, that is of course my opinion. The Invisible Woman is always intriguing, whether you are familiar of the story or not, and deals with the subject with plenty of intelligence and surprising subtlety but another criticism is that parts could have done with more detail and depth, and they are correct because there are some potentially interesting moments that are introduced but not explored enough.
Conversely, The Invisible Woman has many merits, one of which was the acting. Dickens himself is marvellously played by the ever compelling Ralph Fiennes, never feeling like a one-dimensional caricature and he never plays him annoyingly or overwroughtly. Instead while Nelly is clearly the more complex character here this is one expertly portrayal where Dickens is hugely popular but his life is not properly fulfilled due to being married to a woman who does not understand his work. Fiennes also does a confident directing job, though he is absolutely much more comfortable as an actor, which brings out every nuance without being too self- indulgent. As aforementioned, Nelly is the more complex character and it is intricately and affectingly played by Felicity Jones, there is nothing robotic or unemotional at all about her very nuanced approach to 'The Invisible Woman' of the title, and the subtlety in Dickens' and Nelly's relationship was much appreciated. Kristin Scott Thomas is also moving in the most empathetic character in the film, Tom Hollander is very good and surprisingly versatile as Wilkie Collins and one does feel sympathy but also frustration towards Joanna Scanlan's Catherine.
Another strong asset was the way The Invisible Woman looks. The period detail is exemplary and remarkably evocative of what living conditions, relationships in families and class differences were like in the Victorian era. It is beautifully shot and makes great use of locations (the scenery is gorgeous) and settings in all their glory. There is a little music here but it is used sparingly, that did work well, if there was constant music, that can be intrusive in films and TV series, the intimacy, nuance and subtlety of the storytelling may not have come through as effectively. So that is a criticism I respectfully disagree with. Abi Morgan's screenplay is underdeveloped in its ideas at times, but is on the whole very intelligently written and the idea to frame the story around the illicit consequences and the history of Nelly's later life with keeping the liason that changed her life a secret coming increasingly strained proved effective in a dramatic sense. The lives of women in the Victorian era (which was very restricted) and interdependence between Dickens and Nelly was similarly brought to life in a well-observed fashion. Narratively it is also not perfect, but it was compelling and anybody who doesn't know an awful lot about this area will be fascinated and want to know more about it.
Overall, a good film that doesn't always succeed albeit with a lot of things that are done brilliantly. 7/10 Bethany Cox
While The Invisible Woman won't (and clearly judging from some of the reviews here, and their criticisms are understandable it isn't) be for all tastes, and while it has flaws and it feels like there is something missing it was to me a good film with many merits, which have been acknowledged by those who didn't like it. Getting the criticisms out of the way, I do agree about the film having some abrupt narrative shifts that gives it a jumpy feel, it's never incoherent, just that it was a little difficult sometimes to keep up with what were the early scenes and what were the later ones. And also that the film drags in places, not helped by some instances of excessively slow or jerky editing/shots or scenes that go on for too long. This is particularly true with the scene where Dickens and Nelly get intimate which was overlong and was really not needed, that is of course my opinion. The Invisible Woman is always intriguing, whether you are familiar of the story or not, and deals with the subject with plenty of intelligence and surprising subtlety but another criticism is that parts could have done with more detail and depth, and they are correct because there are some potentially interesting moments that are introduced but not explored enough.
Conversely, The Invisible Woman has many merits, one of which was the acting. Dickens himself is marvellously played by the ever compelling Ralph Fiennes, never feeling like a one-dimensional caricature and he never plays him annoyingly or overwroughtly. Instead while Nelly is clearly the more complex character here this is one expertly portrayal where Dickens is hugely popular but his life is not properly fulfilled due to being married to a woman who does not understand his work. Fiennes also does a confident directing job, though he is absolutely much more comfortable as an actor, which brings out every nuance without being too self- indulgent. As aforementioned, Nelly is the more complex character and it is intricately and affectingly played by Felicity Jones, there is nothing robotic or unemotional at all about her very nuanced approach to 'The Invisible Woman' of the title, and the subtlety in Dickens' and Nelly's relationship was much appreciated. Kristin Scott Thomas is also moving in the most empathetic character in the film, Tom Hollander is very good and surprisingly versatile as Wilkie Collins and one does feel sympathy but also frustration towards Joanna Scanlan's Catherine.
Another strong asset was the way The Invisible Woman looks. The period detail is exemplary and remarkably evocative of what living conditions, relationships in families and class differences were like in the Victorian era. It is beautifully shot and makes great use of locations (the scenery is gorgeous) and settings in all their glory. There is a little music here but it is used sparingly, that did work well, if there was constant music, that can be intrusive in films and TV series, the intimacy, nuance and subtlety of the storytelling may not have come through as effectively. So that is a criticism I respectfully disagree with. Abi Morgan's screenplay is underdeveloped in its ideas at times, but is on the whole very intelligently written and the idea to frame the story around the illicit consequences and the history of Nelly's later life with keeping the liason that changed her life a secret coming increasingly strained proved effective in a dramatic sense. The lives of women in the Victorian era (which was very restricted) and interdependence between Dickens and Nelly was similarly brought to life in a well-observed fashion. Narratively it is also not perfect, but it was compelling and anybody who doesn't know an awful lot about this area will be fascinated and want to know more about it.
Overall, a good film that doesn't always succeed albeit with a lot of things that are done brilliantly. 7/10 Bethany Cox