A whole seven years ago Glenn Close revealed her biggest masterpiece yet… or so she had hoped.
Albert Nobbs was clearly a role that meant a great deal to the actress. She first played the cross-dressing butler on stage in 1982 and then, years later, set upon a quest to make the play into a film. There were many hurdles along the way, including financial strife and a change of directors, but finally, in 2011, the film made its debut. Glenn Close appeared as the star but also the producer, co-writer and even composer of the ballad in the closing credits.
But unfortunately, the film wasn’t very well reviewed, quickly written off by critics. Close, who held the film so dearly, had hoped it would be a hit. She did get an Oscar nomination but it seemed closer to a participation award than anything else, resulting in her walking away with nothing. To rub salt in the wound, Meryl Streep, who’s often more celebrated than Close, walked away with an award for a film hardly better likely than Albert Nobbs.
Luckily, that’s not the end of the story. Björn Runge, a Swedish born director, premiered his film The Wife in the quiet back end of the Toronto film festival. The project was another long-gestating project, having taken 14 years to reach the screen. But it was widely admired, earning Close some of the best notices of her career. Now, Close enters the best actress race as a favourite and a force to be reckoned with.
Having been released into a rapidly more feminist-conscious industry landscape, The Wife, and Close’s stunning performance in it sends a clear message that women are fighting for their rights and won’t be backing down anytime soon.
For now, the only thing to do is wait and hope that the MiNDFOOD cover star lands herself a well-deserved trophy.
