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Not long into Rodrigo Garcia's elegant film, you may find yourself wondering just who that husky-voiced Irish character actor is so masterfully playing the title character—a reserved, fastidious hotel butler in 1890s Dublin. The surprising answer is none other than Glenn Close (who also cowrote and coproduced). Recreating her award-winning stage role, Close gives a triumphant, transformative performance as an emotionally scarred woman who has lived in disguise for so long she has nearly forgotten who she really is—until a series of encounters with sympathetic fellow travelers rekindle in Albert the dream of a better life. Featuring exquisite production design by Patrizia Von Brandenstein (Amadeus) and standout supporting performances by Janet McTeer and Mia Wasikowska, Albert Nobbs draws an alternately comic and heartbreaking examination of Victorian gender roles through modern eyes. (US/Ireland, 113 min., R, Print courtesy of Roadside Attractions)

See the film's Official Website to view trailer and more information on film.

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The end of the world—and the collapse of the spirit—has never been depicted as beautifully and wrenchingly as in Melancholia, the latest feature from Danish provocateur Lars von Trier (Antichrist). The title refers both to a destructive planet heading toward Earth and the crippling depression of new bride Justine (Kirsten Dunst, who won the Best Actress award at Cannes), the only one who seems to notice a strange celestial object during her disastrous wedding reception. As the world's extinction looms ever larger, Justine is tended to, as always, by her level-headed sister, Claire (an equally magnificent Charlotte Gainsbourg), herself gripped by anxiety over the impending doomsday. Melancholia's premise may be science fiction, but the feelings it plumbs are the most heartfelt human drama. The standout cast includes Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt, and Charlotte Rampling. (Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany/Italy, 135 min., R, Print courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

See the film's Official Website for more information on film.