The Invisible Woman

Film (2013)

With Ralph Fiennes (Charles Dickens), Felicity Jones (Nelly Ternan), Kristin Scott Thomas (Mrs. Frances Ternan), Joanna Scanlan (Catherine Dickens)

Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes), famous author and father of many children, is married to a woman he does not love. He falls for Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones), a beautiful, very young, actress, and takes her under his wing.

This adept rendition of the story of Dickens and his mistress is very well directed by Ralph Fiennes, who also plays Dickens. The portrayals are thoughtful, not kitschy or sentimental, and seem right to the point.

Fiennes draws out of his young star, Felicity Jones, a combination of youthful charm and a growing sense of fateful realism that makes for a quite interesting combination. Fiennes himself, as Dickens, is also very good, but less complex. His Dickens is as ebullient as they come and lots of good fun. Kristen Scott Thomas (Mrs. Frances Ternan) does an excellent job as Nelly’s mother, an actress with a vivid sense of how things work, but full of soul.

Perhaps the most vivid moment comes from Joanna Scanlan who plays Dickens’ wife, Catherine. It’s not an appealing role, but, at the moment she discovers that she has lost Dickens, her response is heartbreaking. Scanlan delivers that moment compellingly and the contrast with the stolid performance she must give beforehand is striking.

Dickens’ tragic expectations of these two women – Nelly and Catherine – is masked by his exuberance, unending energy, and zest for life. Catherine suffers quietly in abandonment after rearing scads of Dickens’ children. Nelly survives with Dickens as a partner, but must remain invisible to avoid a public scandal.

Scriptwriter Morgan and director Fiennes handle these themes eloquently, interleaving the obvious contrasts of passion, marital disappointment and public scrutiny with an attentive sense of balance. This is a quiet and thoughtful film. Music is subtly interjected rather than suffused, promoting a sense of measured observation, while editing and cinematography, also carried off exceedingly well, produce a sculpted, careful end product.

– BADMan