The Danish Girl (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Anyone who has seen Eddie Redmayne on Broadway, or in 2012's Les Miserables, or in his Oscar-winning turn as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything will know what to expect in this film, ‘The Danish Girl' (directed by Tom Hooper) ... another excellent performance. Set in picturesque Copenhagen in 1926, this based-on-a-true-story involves renowned landscape painters, Einar Wegener (Redmayne) & his adoring wife, Gerda (Alicia Vikander, also great this year in Ex Machina & Testament of Youth). The couple's marriage is sweet, tender, & seemingly strong -- with nothing each would not do for the other. After Gerda’s work gets repeatedly rejected by her artist community {perhaps, because she is female}, she switches things up by painting people – and usually with little-to-no clothes on. All goes well for a while. But one day, when a model friend (Amber Heard) doesn't show up for a sitting, Gerda innocently asks Einar to pose while wearing stockings, slippers, & a dress. After some reluctance & hesitation, Einar obliges. But then something changes.
Like watching the birth of a baby bird, we see Einar - through wonderful use of Redmayne's expressions - start to conform to his body in these clothes. He realizes that some long-stifled feelings about himself could be re-emerging. After this experience, he decides he wants to go to a party masquerading as Einar's female cousin - 'Lili' - and Gerda cheerfully agrees to it {what fun!}. But after a tentative kiss from partygoer, Henrik (Ben Whishaw), it becomes clear that this is more than just dressing up for fun & games. Einar now realizes that he IS Lili, a woman trapped in the wrong body. Reaping the success that she's yearned for by painting 'Lili' in erotically-charged portraits, Gerda also starts feeling immense guilt & even some disgust over having awoken her husband’s long-suppressed feelings. Past the point of no return and giving-in to the inevitable, she chooses to accept & love her husband; love him so much, that she even she helps him on his journey to becoming ... 'Lili'.
Of course, their joint journey hits road blocks along the way (personal, societal), but the couple manage to sustain some friendships; like Hans Axgil (Matthias Schoenaerts), a childhood friend/crush who knows Einar's true nature. Einar begins living as Lili, yet gets frustrated when bewildered psychiatrists consider his case to be one of perversion. But when she learns of a German surgeon (Sebastian Koch) who acknowledges her as "transgendered" and has developed an experimental, dangerous procedure to change someone's sex, she knows she has no choice but to try it. Melodrama ensues as Lili attempts to become the woman he was born to be.
Eddie Redmayne is once again superb in this transformational role; subtly changing from awkward-to-comfortable in his skin. Eddie rivets with each glance, tick, reaction, hesitation, & sense of relief. In one scene, Einar observes his naked body in a mirror, tucking his penis btwn. his legs. In another, he watches a peep show, mimicking the woman's gestures -- powerful stuff. About this role, Redmayne said, "This is a story of authenticity, identity, & courage, but at its heart it is a love story ... and about the courage that it takes to find yourself -- to be yourself". Lili IS The Danish Girl, but the same can be said of Alicia Vikander's Gerda. Vikander is brilliant in bringing to life the strong, independent-minded artist who suffers, yet wholeheartedly supports her husband throughout. As an aside, it is rumored that Gerda was bisexual; hence, her adoration & support for Einar felt more plausible. Throw in Schoenaerts, Whishaw, Heard and the like, and it is hard to find fault in any of the acting by the talented ensemble cast.
Having touched upon the performances, I also must say that while this is an admirable film, to me, it is not as impressive as director Tom Hooper’s prior Holiday offerings, said King's Speech & his sprawling Les Miserables. The proceedings here are polished and, as mentioned, well-performed … but they're also a bit safe in execution. The history of this true story is fascinating, but the execution of said story is not as fascinating. So it's up the actors to do the heavy lifting, along with some stunning awards-worthy production designs, costumes, hair/make-up work, and Alexandre Desplat's sweet-sounding musical score. Everything from the locales to the lighting to the sets to the realistic portraits brought this film to life. Everything was in place to provide a wow-er of a film experience.
I just wish 'The Danish Girl' contained that something 'extra' to make me feel like I'd just experienced something whelming & substantial. The sexual identity theme is substantial because this film may prove inspiring to transgender viewers and those inquisitive about the origins of this subject matter. It is also a relevant movie; punctuated by current events such as Caitlyn Jenner's transition, as well as the Transparent TV show. But 'The Danish Girl' doesn't cut as deep as I wanted it to. This is a soft, genteel film that relies more on montages than narrative incident to convey emotional depth. All that said, I still think 'The Danish Girl' is a lovely, affecting biopic that deserves an audience. It is both palatable & comfortable without bowling you over. And our Lead actor’s delicately nuanced portrayals go a long way in making this film as successful as it is.
Like watching the birth of a baby bird, we see Einar - through wonderful use of Redmayne's expressions - start to conform to his body in these clothes. He realizes that some long-stifled feelings about himself could be re-emerging. After this experience, he decides he wants to go to a party masquerading as Einar's female cousin - 'Lili' - and Gerda cheerfully agrees to it {what fun!}. But after a tentative kiss from partygoer, Henrik (Ben Whishaw), it becomes clear that this is more than just dressing up for fun & games. Einar now realizes that he IS Lili, a woman trapped in the wrong body. Reaping the success that she's yearned for by painting 'Lili' in erotically-charged portraits, Gerda also starts feeling immense guilt & even some disgust over having awoken her husband’s long-suppressed feelings. Past the point of no return and giving-in to the inevitable, she chooses to accept & love her husband; love him so much, that she even she helps him on his journey to becoming ... 'Lili'.
Of course, their joint journey hits road blocks along the way (personal, societal), but the couple manage to sustain some friendships; like Hans Axgil (Matthias Schoenaerts), a childhood friend/crush who knows Einar's true nature. Einar begins living as Lili, yet gets frustrated when bewildered psychiatrists consider his case to be one of perversion. But when she learns of a German surgeon (Sebastian Koch) who acknowledges her as "transgendered" and has developed an experimental, dangerous procedure to change someone's sex, she knows she has no choice but to try it. Melodrama ensues as Lili attempts to become the woman he was born to be.
Eddie Redmayne is once again superb in this transformational role; subtly changing from awkward-to-comfortable in his skin. Eddie rivets with each glance, tick, reaction, hesitation, & sense of relief. In one scene, Einar observes his naked body in a mirror, tucking his penis btwn. his legs. In another, he watches a peep show, mimicking the woman's gestures -- powerful stuff. About this role, Redmayne said, "This is a story of authenticity, identity, & courage, but at its heart it is a love story ... and about the courage that it takes to find yourself -- to be yourself". Lili IS The Danish Girl, but the same can be said of Alicia Vikander's Gerda. Vikander is brilliant in bringing to life the strong, independent-minded artist who suffers, yet wholeheartedly supports her husband throughout. As an aside, it is rumored that Gerda was bisexual; hence, her adoration & support for Einar felt more plausible. Throw in Schoenaerts, Whishaw, Heard and the like, and it is hard to find fault in any of the acting by the talented ensemble cast.
Having touched upon the performances, I also must say that while this is an admirable film, to me, it is not as impressive as director Tom Hooper’s prior Holiday offerings, said King's Speech & his sprawling Les Miserables. The proceedings here are polished and, as mentioned, well-performed … but they're also a bit safe in execution. The history of this true story is fascinating, but the execution of said story is not as fascinating. So it's up the actors to do the heavy lifting, along with some stunning awards-worthy production designs, costumes, hair/make-up work, and Alexandre Desplat's sweet-sounding musical score. Everything from the locales to the lighting to the sets to the realistic portraits brought this film to life. Everything was in place to provide a wow-er of a film experience.
I just wish 'The Danish Girl' contained that something 'extra' to make me feel like I'd just experienced something whelming & substantial. The sexual identity theme is substantial because this film may prove inspiring to transgender viewers and those inquisitive about the origins of this subject matter. It is also a relevant movie; punctuated by current events such as Caitlyn Jenner's transition, as well as the Transparent TV show. But 'The Danish Girl' doesn't cut as deep as I wanted it to. This is a soft, genteel film that relies more on montages than narrative incident to convey emotional depth. All that said, I still think 'The Danish Girl' is a lovely, affecting biopic that deserves an audience. It is both palatable & comfortable without bowling you over. And our Lead actor’s delicately nuanced portrayals go a long way in making this film as successful as it is.