14. The Invisible Woman
Grade: D+My Take: This is about as rote and stereotypical as period piece biopics get. The film is technically about the great 19th Century English novelist Charles Dickens and his extramarital affair with a young actress, but other than the costumes, sets, and the fact the protagonist's name happens to be Charles Dickens, the film could really be about any love triangle involving a celebrity. The film has no particular insight into Charles Dickens as a man, and stylistically, there is nothing terribly Dickensian about the film. The Invisible Woman is yet another entry in the ever growing list of forgettable prestige biopics.
Oscar Prospects: Best Costume Design. In fact, given the dearth of period films on the year-end docket (which is just fine with me), it's pretty much assured a costume nomination. The Costume Designers branch of the Academy is terribly predictable with its nominations, always ignoring the more subtle (but just as impressive, if not more so) contemporary work in favor of the frilliest (and probably technically the most difficult to actually make) design available for nomination. Other than costumes though, I don't think The Invisible Woman will be seeing any other Oscar kudos. And if it does, my respect for the Academy will drop yet another rung lower.