The Invisible Woman

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by Ralph Fiennes

Dec 24, 2013 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

Charles Dickens was the bestselling author of all time. He was the writer of classics such as Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and numerous others, and a major celebrity in the U.K. during his own time. He was also pretty skeevy: Ralph Fienne’s tasteful period piece, The Invisible Woman, chronicles a famous affair the writer had with a teenage actress, which began when he was married and in his late 40s.

In front of the camera, Fiennes is fantastic; he plays the novelist with an intelligent wit, and fragile, slightly creepy obsession bubbling just beneath the surface. Even better is Felicity Jones as the mistress Ellen Ternan, who’s trapped by the wealthy, powerful man but later comes to love him. (Jones plays the teenage girl as well as a much older Ternan, who recounts their love story in flashback long after Dickens’ death.)

Behind the camera, Fiennes shoots his actors against dark, lavish backdrops—much of the action is set in gorgeous Victorian theatres or mansions—and has a striking attention for period detail. The film is hindered by its strange framework; the story-told-in-flashback setup is ultimately pointless, as nothing relevant occurs in the scenes dramatizing the woman’s post-Dickens life. The passage of time is difficult to follow, as well: years pass between cuts, without even a subtitle to suggest year or location. The Invisible Woman is a beautiful picture with strong performances, but made unnecessarily convoluted.

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