They both come off as masculine women, but still women. Particularly Janet McTeer's character. It's an admirable attempt, but not quite believable. Also the film itself was just too stuffy and slow.
YEAH, BITCH! MAGNETS!
Hmm. I had the reverse impression about the two characters. I think the film did suffer from poor editing.
Knowing the general thrust of the film going in, I expected at some point to lose the actresses in their characters and start seeing them as men - but it never happened. The whole time I thought, "No way people would not know or at least strongly suspect that's a chick." In both cases.
Took away from my enjoyment of the film a lot.
Though there were times for me when both actresses did get lost (as men), so to speak -- I don't think that was really the point. I think the levels of drama play much better for the viewer if they are constantly aware of these women being out-of-place as men. Surely the women themselves were always aware of that fact, so the risk they face should always be close for us, too.
I do believe that either one of them could have passed -- at the very least as a "strange" man. Keep in mind, in the era they lived, the gender roles were verrrrry specific. It was as much how they behaved (as men) as it was how they looked. Women DID NOT perform those jobs.
I don't think it's an accident that each actress had a scene where the same young boy stared at them. He face was passive, but I believe he was trying to work out the puzzle that each of these women presented him.
Having said all that, there were times for me when I went: That's Glenn Close!! and the illusion was shattered, taking me out of the story.
My brother started watching the movie midway through and did not realize Albert and Hubert were being played by women.
He made a comment about Albert "sounding gay" but was shocked when he found out Albert was a woman.
I thought McTeer was passable as a man, in addition to being a joy to watch. Close, while skillful as always in this terribly constricted role, was neither. Not Close's fault, really. Page is a far more vital and interesting character than Nobbs, and everything in the screenplay reflects that.
shareFor Hubert to actually pass as a man, s/he would have needed to keep on very bulky shirts and overcoats at all times in order to hide those huge knockers.
Her bottom was also extremely feminine and voluptuous. To keep the charade up, she would never never be able to bend over (maybe with a large overcoat with tails it would be possible). The couple of times in the film when she did stretch the fabric n the seat of her pants you could easily see "that was no dude".
Then there's the issue of no whiskers, although I suppose it's possible they could have developed some.
They'll pass as men at first glance but not any real scrutiny.
WARNING!
Objects under T-shirt are larger than they appear!
Page did in fact keep on "very bulky shirts and overcoats at all times", as far as I can recall. I for one didn't notice the bottom--and I've known at least one man who had a kangaroo rear, besides. Was the pants-stretching in public, or at home in private? Makes a difference.
shareIt's funny, I didn't know anything about Hubert being a women before I saw the movie, but I knew it in the first scene. I don't know how they tried to pass her off as a man.
sharelol same here, I had just watched the final season of Damages that Close and McTeer were both on so that didn't help but I definitely think Close looked more like a weird looking man and McTeer looked like KD Lang.
shareJanet McTeer looked nothing like a man, just a very masculine woman.When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...