The Invisible Woman gives us a look at what was once a tucked away part of Charles Dickens life; his romance with a woman named Nelly Ternan that he kept a secret from the public for many years. She in fact really had a great impact in Dickens life, until his very death. It’s a pure tale of love from a man who had plenty to give, but who had to bury it deep within the public eye.
We met Nelly (Felicity Jones) years after her relationship with Dickens, where she has settled into a new life, remarried and busy rehearsing a production of one of Dickens’ plays, No Thoroughfare: A Drama In Five Acts. It’s when Reverend Benham (John Kavanagh), an enthusiast of Dickens, brings up Dickens past that Nelly becomes visibly haunted by the discussion, and you see just how much Dickens meant to her.
We flashback to when Nelly is only 18-years-old, and see that Nelly comes from a family of actors led by her mom Frances (Kristin Scott Thomas) and sister Maria (Perdita Weeks). They are performing in Wilkie Collins’ (Tom Hollander) play The Frozen Deep, which Dickens is adapting. It’s there that they meet Dickens who quickly becomes close to the family, instantly taking a liking to Nelly. Although she is only 18, they form a tight bond that is noticeable to everyone around them including Frances and Dickens’ wife Catherine (Joanna Scanlan). With over 10 children, Dickens has tight family ties and as such a public figure, he can’t just simply abandon them without the public knowing. But love triumphs all. The heart wants what it wants, and Dickens sets out to win the heart of Nelly.
Although the romance between the elder Dickens and the much young Nelly did happen in real life, it’s still hard to make romance with such an age discrepancy believable on screen. It works in The Invisible Woman because Fiennes allows the story to develop and their relationship to unfold without rushing them into scenes. We see them slowly develop their relationship and get to know each other until they finally unleash their feelings to one another. Of course, it’s not all happy times. They have to find ways to go about this that won’t tarnish Dickens’ career. In one of the film’s best scenes, Catherine encounters Nelly about their affair face to face and warns her that she will have trouble figuring out if Dickens will love you more than his audience. This is something that Nelly will soon find herself thrown into, amongst other heartbreak.
The Invisible Woman captures the feel of 1800’s England thanks to excellent set pieces and costumes from costume designer Michael O’Connor. Based off the novel by Claire Tomalin, Abi Morgan’s screenplay does enough to allow Ralph Fiennes to create a moving story that gives us a unique look at the famed Dickens. It’s an effective and passionate love story that never loses its focus or becomes too sappy or saccharine. You become engaged in their relationship and by the end of the film feel sorry that they never got to experience love without the confines of secrecy.
The film is held together by the look of the film as well as the rock solid cast that makes it all worth watching. Fiennes, who both directs and stars in the film, has a great handle on both sides of things. He is a believable Charles Dickens, and gives everything that he has to the performance. Felicity Jones is quickly becoming one of my favorite new actresses, and delivers a truly charming and passionate performance here. Joanna Scanlan also turns in a fine effort.
It’s not perfect but it has plenty of good going for it that will be an enjoyable trip to the 1800s for anyone willing to dive in. The Invisible Woman does hit some road bumps and is lacking something, it’s still a enjoyable telling of a story about one of the most famous authors that is mostly unfamiliar to us. Fiennes has proven himself as a strong accomplished director who is able to effectively tell his story. Keep an eye on Felicity Jones who kept me totally in awe. She’s going to keep showing up on your screens soon and will soon leave you just as impressed as she did here.
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