Albert Nobbs is a film set in late 19th century Ireland, starring Glenn Close as Albert, a woman who poses as a man to work as a butler in a posh hotel in Dublin. As a woman, Albert would not be able to find work as easily as a man, so she has to hide her true identity to survive.
The hotel is owned by Mrs. Baker (Pauline Collins), who also employs a maid named Helen Dawes (Mia Wasikowska). Albert keeps to herself and spends most of her time working, saving her earnings to one day buy her own business. She is also saving to marry a woman she loves, but this plan is thwarted when her fiancee marries someone else.
One day, a handsome painter named Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) arrives at the hotel and shares a room with Albert. Albert is surprised to discover that Hubert is also a woman who has been hiding her true identity. The two women bond over their shared secret and their desire to escape their current lives.
Albert becomes infatuated with a young hotel maid named Helen and tries to win her affections by offering to help her start her own business. However, when Helen learns that Albert is a woman, she is disgusted and rejects her.
After a confrontation with Mrs. Baker, Albert's true identity is revealed, and she is dismissed from her job. She takes all her savings and tries to start her own business, but her plans are thwarted when she learns that her savings were stolen by a con artist.
The film ends with Albert wandering the streets, alone and destitute, with no hope for the future. The film is a poignant exploration of gender identity and the struggle for survival in a patriarchal society.