The Invisible Woman

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (12)

D: Ralph Fiennes

Sony/Headline/BBC (Gabriella Tana, Stewart Mackinnon, Christian Baute & Carolyn Marks Blackwood)

UK 2013

111 mins

Drama/Biopic

W: Abi Morgan [based on the novel by Claire Tomalin]

DP: Rob Hardy

Ed: Nicolas Gaster

Mus: Ilan Eshkeri

PD: Maria Djurkovic

Cos: Michael O'Connor

Ralph Fiennes (Charles Dickens), Felicity Jones (Nelly Ternan), Kristen Scott-Thomas (Mrs. Ternan), Tom Hollander (Wilkie Collins), Michelle Fairley (Caroline Graves)

Though the title may make it sound like part of Marvel's series of superhero movies, The Invisible Woman is in fact a biopic of Charles Dickens' and his clandestine affair with Nelly Ternan, a young actress who becomes his mistress until the authors' death. 

Felicity Jones is excellent as the lead actress, and Ralph Fiennes apes Charles Dickens to brilliant effect, but the story itself is rather dull. Overall, it would have worked better as a TV movie or perhaps a mini series.

The period detail is good, as are the performances, but everything else is just a little stagnant.

6/10