Private Dickens

There was a time when The Invisible Woman, a movie that takes a speculative look at an affair Charles Dickens had toward the end of his life, would’ve had Oscar written all over it. The Academy Awards used to love these ornate period dramas so very, very much.

The film, released in a limited number of theaters, did pull down a nomination for costume design, but that’s all. Now, I’m not saying I personally would’ve nominated this movie in the major categories, but it’s a pretty close call in some categories for a film that got absolutely no buzz during awards season. Considering its subject matter and period piece pedigree, this would’ve been Oscar heaven in 1995.

Ralph Fiennes directs himself as Dickens, and he presents the author as the John Lennon or Elvis Presley of his day. Dickens was a literary rock star, and one of the first to deal with print media scrutiny and hordes of fans when he tried to take a walk or go to the theater. The married Dickens also created quite a bit of controversy by having an affair with a young actress named Nelly (Felicity Jones), whose full name was Ellen Ternan.

Jones, the stunning actress who broke through with an amazing performance in Like Crazy, is this film’s best asset. As Nelly, an aspiring actress with questionable talent and a discreetly displayed big fan crush on Dickens, Jones brings a smoldering sophistication to her role, and goes toe-to-toe with Fiennes in many scenes. This actress is the real deal, and would’ve been a lock for an Oscar nom back when films like Sense and Sensibility and Shakespeare in Love were all the rage.

As for Fiennes, he does a fine acting job on top of steady, stable directorial work. The film, based on the Claire Tomalin novel that speculates on aspects of the Dickens/Nelly affair, is told out of chronological order. Fiennes makes the time shifts easy, anchoring the movie with a stunning beach shot that allows us to know we are back in the latter part of the story.

Much of what happens in this movie is based on true events, including the 1865 Staplehurst rail car crash that many attribute as the cause of Dickens’ subsequent health woes and decrease in writing output. He began a retreat from the literary scene in the aftermath, and died only five years later.

Other parts of the film are based more on rumors and foggy history, including Dickens and Nelly losing a baby and their living situations toward the end of his life.

Fiennes looks to show a parallel between celebrity today and celebrity 150 years ago. Dickens lived in a time when divorce was less common and an extramarital affair equated to mortal sin. (I guess it still does today in some sects.)

One of the film’s greatest scenes is when Dickens’ wife Catherine (heartbreakingly portrayed by Joanna Scanlan) learns the details of her separation from him through an article, penned by him, in the newspaper. I’m sure there is many a celebrity spouse today who has found out about their impending separation or divorce via TMZ.com.

The movie is a beauty to look at, boasting some of 2013’s finest cinematography by Barry Ackroyd (The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips). The Oscar nom for costume design is well deserved. I never questioned the authenticity of the time period Fiennes and crew recreated. It all looks very real.

This is the second directorial effort for Fiennes after 2011’s very good Coriolanus. I think he’s a director to be reckoned with. He has a crafty touch with sensitive subjects.

The Invisible Woman could’ve been heavy handed, like a soap opera, in the hands of another director. Fiennes makes his movie seem less like a period piece and more like a universal statement of media power over lives and its ability to inhibit our choices.