The Invisible Woman (2013)

A respectable young girl (Felicity Jones) is romantically pursued by the famous author Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes, who also directs) even though he is already married. She is appalled by the idea of being his mistress yet can't resist the genius of the man. Based on the non fiction book by Claire Tomalin, the film starts falteringly and I expected the worst, one of those dull spawn of the BBC costume dramas with lots of tea sipping among ladies and gentlemen. But director Fiennes, working from a solid screenplay by Abi Morgan, gives us a stark portrait of the conventions of the time and how those who attempt to break them want their cake and eat it too or become victims of their actions. Fiennes' Dickens is a warts and all portrayal, letting us see both his genius and his cruelty. A respectable effort and don't be afraid of the BBC sheep's clothing ... there's a wolf underneath. The obtrusive score is by Ilan Eshkeri. With Kristin Scott Thomas (Fiennes' squeeze in THE ENGLISH PATIENT, now playing Jones's mother), Tom Hollander and as Dickens' wife, Joanna Scanlan in a performance that you won't soon forget.