The Invisible Woman

R

Released Dec 25, 2013

1 hr. 51 min.

Drama

Romance

List

76%

155 Reviews

Tomatometer

44%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Nelly Wharton Robinson (Felicity Jones) recalls a fateful time from her past when, as a young actress, she met author Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) and secretly became his mistress and muse.

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Critics Consensus

Its deliberate pace will frustrate some viewers, but for fans of handsomely mounted period drama, The Invisible Woman offers visual as well as emotional cinematic nourishment.

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isla s

This is a slow and emotional watch, ideal for fans of period drama. I found it quite engrossing and intriguing to get to know Dickens' love interest at the time its set. The cast do well giving good performances and the dialogue was quite thoughtful at times, although at other times its more a case of what isn't said, than what is and indeed I ebjoyed the dialogue free scenes as they had an almost dream like quality to the and allow the viewer to contemplate what the characters on screen may be thinking etc. Its a thoughtful watch, a bit sobering at times, perhaps even somewhat haunting but a good one. In any case I'd recommend this film. I even enjoyed the piano music played while the credits rolled at the end of the film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Barclay

The train wreck which was the climax was seriously flawed. Whether Mr. Dickens was forced to betray and then abandon his injured lover was as motiveless as Nelly's subsequent sequestering alone by herself. There as so many loose ends in this script that it must be summarized as a loose end which probably has little relevance to the real Charles Dickens.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/18/22

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georgan g

Beautiful to watch. Acting perfect. Based on truth.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Bill

Your review will help others decide whether to watch.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/03/21

Full Review

Audience Member

Touching portrayal of a relatioship forced into the shadows; Felicity James plays the whole gamut of emotions

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fiennes tries a lot, but there is a superior power and to-be-fair stronger character in Jones's side. The Invisible Woman Fiennes has a magic show for us. And the magic is that there is no trick. But the trick itself is the entity showcased in here. The director, Ralph Fiennes is not a persuasive filmmaker. In the sense, he doesn't stand in front of us, up close, with an expressive face. He doesn't want you to get the joke, if he is doing a stand up. He is confident in his method. And ergo, the antics aren't there at all. There is nothing to look forward to or look back to. The film is present. Live. There, on the stage. The subjective procedure is mellow, deliberately. Also, another odd thing I picked up is how there are no elements trailed to follow or climb the ladder step by step. Personally, I loved this aspect of the film. For instance, usually after an epilogue the film has setup the characters, mood and the trajectory that it pretty much will follow for the next two acts. But in here, if a guy and a girl is to fall in love, there are no acts enfolding regarding that subject. Now it is incredibly risky to fiddle with a sensitive part of the film, since this is the crux and blood of the entire phenomenon. If the audience doesn't understand the weight of this lead equation, the film would never work. And Fiennes draws from this emotion from real life. This feeling doesn't creep up step by step in the narration but is present as soon as Nelly played by Felicity Jones meets Feinnes as Charles Dickens. Those two in the room says it all, they don't have to go through certain circumstances created artificially or naturally to understand that they have fallen for each other. The resistance in the body language and the breathe gives away The Invisible Woman.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

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Ralph Fiennes

Director

Ralph Fiennes

Charles Dickens

Felicity Jones

Nelly

Kristin Scott Thomas

Mrs. Ternan

Tom Hollander

Wilkie Collins

Joanna Scanlan

Catherine Dickens

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Philippa Hawker

The Age (Australia)

Felicity Jones gives a strong depiction of repressed emotion. Up against Fiennes' Dickens -- all bonhomie, energy, mercurial self-consciousness -- she's a melancholy figure.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 16, 2014

Full Review

David Stratton

The Australian

The Invisible Woman , overall, is a film of intelligence and subtlety, and Jones's performance as Nelly reflects exactly those qualities - she brings Nelly, with all her complexities, doubts and conflicted loyalties, vividly to life.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 16, 2014

Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

Fiennes and his team recreate 19th-century England with a precision that, in its more stifling moments, rekindles memories of Merchant Ivory.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 14, 2014

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Comes with great expectations, most of which, unfortunately are not met.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 1, 2021

Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

A dark, brooding piece, Fiennes's film is a fairly trite and superficial rendering of an episode in the life of one of the greatest and most popular writers of all time...

Aug 13, 2020

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Carla Renata

The Curvy Film Critic

Love period pieces. Love Ralph Fiennes. Pacing is a little off and is frustrating to the watching the plot unfold.

Jun 9, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Nelly Wharton Robinson (Felicity Jones) recalls a fateful time from her past when, as a young actress, she met author Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) and secretly became his mistress and muse.

Director: Ralph Fiennes
Executive Producer: Sharon Harel, Maya Amsellem, Eve Schoukroun, Stefano Ferrari, Christine Langan, Jamie Laurenson
Screenwriter: Abi Morgan
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Headline Pictures, Magnolia Mae
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 15, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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