Because of the subject matter in The Danish Girl I wasn't sure this was going to be a film that I would particularly like but I need not have have worried because I thought this was a fascinating movie that justified it's plaudits. This is the story of Danish artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) who realised that despite being born a man he is really a woman and that woman is called Lile. Although Redmayne will quite obviously get all the praise for his role as Lile but I think the outstanding performance of this film comes from Alicia Vikander who plays his wife. As an actor she is exposed unlike Redmayne who has the make up to hide behind. Instead of being about Lile this film for me is more about the love of his wife who will do anything to make her husband happy. Even if that means losing him. in the process.
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valleyjohn14 February 2016
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TheLittleSongbird24 January 2018Finally got round to seeing 'The Danish Girl' last night, having been intrigued by it (thanks to its subject, the way it was advertised and the talent involved) for a long time but not having the time due to heavy music and music college work commitments and being behind with my "must-see" list.
My thoughts were that it is a beautiful and courageous film that won't be, and clearly isn't judging from the polarising user review opinions here, everybody's cup of tea, but is a sensitive and emotionally powerful portrayal of a subject matter that's important, very much relevant (even more so now) and controversial. It takes a lot of guts to portray this subject in any form and 'The Danish Girl' acquits itself beautifully if not perfectly.
'The Danish Girl' to me is not without its imperfections. It does drag a little at times and trimming 10-15 minutes off the running time would have helped it perhaps. The script, while mostly thought-provoking and sensitive, has instances where it's too lightweight and needed a tightening up and could have been bolder and take more risks.
So much works though. 'The Danish Girl' looks gorgeous, like an art painting come to life, especially the landscapes and sumptuous period detail. The costumes are evocative and pleasing on the eyes and the whole film is beautifully photographed. Alexandre Desplat's score is one of his most hypnotic and enchanting and Tom Hooper's direction is perhaps him at his most subtle and understated.
It, in terms of writing and story, is mostly thought-provoking and treats the subject matter with an honesty, sensitivity and a big emotional wallop. There are instances such as the ending where the film did bring tears to my eyes.
Can't say anything bad about the performances. Eddie Redmayne is the top-billed star and he does give a very deeply felt and courageous turn. Oddly enough though Gerda is actually the focus, where her complex feelings are ones that anybody in her position would relate to. Alicia Vikander's performance is truly sensational and her chemistry with Redmayne is also one where it is clear they're in love with each other. All the supporting cast are strong, my favourite being the sympathetic one of Matthias Schoenaerts.
All in all, beautiful and brave film but not for all. 8/10 Bethany Cox -
The new cinema year has got off to a robust start with the new movie from Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech", "Les Misérables").
We have seen many depictions of physical torture on the screen over the years, from the interminable teen-slasher pics, through 'that chair scene' in "Casino Royale" to the stylized presentations of Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese in films like "Reservoir Dogs" and "Casino". "The Danish Girl" is also in its way a film about torture, but more akin to the mental torture seen in films like "Buried" or "Flightpath". What must it be like to be trapped with a sexual orientation that you feel is not your own? To possess physical body parts you don't believe you should have? And all in a time (the 1920's) when an exposed ankle was considered slightly daring.
Based on a true story, Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne ("The Theory of Everything") and Alicia Vikander ("Ex Machina") play a bohemian married couple Einar and Gerda Wegener, apparently happily married and trying for a child in 1920's Copenhagen. Einar is a renowned landscape artist with his wife a struggling portrait artist living in his shadow. After taking part in a cross-dressing modelling session, strong feelings are awakened in Einar. As a bit of a 'game' Gerda encourages him to explore the character of his alter-ego "Lili" further: a big mistake, as Einar is swept into a spiral of confusion and self-doubt.
Eddie Redmayne is surely up for another Oscar-nomination for his brave performance as Einar/Lili, using his expressive eyes to great effect and delivering a truly heart-rending performance. With all this said however, I never quite believed I was watching the character of Lili but more Redmayne acting the character. Perhaps this is unfair, as Einar/Lili is such a bizarrely multi-dimensional person no one could perhaps have played him/her to my satisfaction. But I suspect (particularly as Redmayne won last year) this won't bring Redmayne the Oscar double.
Far more impressive for me was the delicious and delightful Alicia Vikander, once more turning in a fantastic performance as the increasingly desperate (both psychologically and sexually) Gerda. With Rooney Mara, Vikander must be one of the brightest actress talents in today's cinema.
Also turning in a strong performance, in what is a very limited cast list, is Matthias Schoenaerts ("Far from the Madding Crowd") as a Parisian art dealer with a link to Einar's past. The omni-present (sorry, that should read "hard-working") Ben Whishaw turns up again as a party guest with an unhealthy interest in Lili and Sebastian Koch (most recently seen in series 5 of "Homeland") plays Dr Warnekros who is a pioneer in the new and risky business of sexual reassignment surgery.
Another star of the film is the luscious Danish capital, filmed in vibrant colours, as if from the artists' palettes, by Danny Cohen, a Hooper favourite. Also a big surprise to me was the gloriously photographed Danish countryside, seen at the end of the film, with mountains and seascapes I never knew existed.
Another Hooper alumni, Alexandre Desplat, supplies the soupy but very fitting score.
While the film features a compelling story and much impressive acting, I never personally felt as connected to the story as I was to "The King's Speech". This isn't helped by a rather stagy script by Lucinda Coxon that feels lightweight at times. Perhaps its because we are in Oscar- season but, to me, it all felt a tad pretentious and (no pun intended) could have done with a few snips in places to reduce the running time by 15 minutes or so. That being said, and as an alternative view, I should point out that my wife was in tears for a good proportion of the film and disagrees vehemently with my views. I say "my wife", but since watching the film she's started wearing braces and smoking cigars – so I'm rather confused as to WHAT exactly is going on. :-)
(For the graphical version of this review, see bob-the-movie-man.com. Thanks). -
Michael_Elliott30 January 2016The Danish Girl (2015)
*** (out of 4)
The semi true-story of painters Einar (Eddie Redmayne) and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander), a married couple who find their lives changing when Einar dresses as a woman so Gerda can have someone to paint but it brings something out in him. Soon Einar is going around as the Lili character and soon decides that he's a woman on the inside.
THE DANISH GIRL is another beautiful looking film from Tom Hooper, the director best known for his Oscar-winner THE KING'S SPEECH. Like that film the director has no problem with the visual look of the film and Hooper certainly knows how to put you in the period setting. It also doesn't hurt that we've got some excellent performances and a rather interesting and conflicted love story.
I think the real draw here are the performances with Redmayne once again delivering a remarkable piece of work just a year after his Oscar win for THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING. A lot of actors have played male/female characters to perfection. In my mind the greatest was Dustin Hoffman in TOOTSIE but that there was a comedy whereas this here certainly isn't. It was really remarkable seeing how well Redmayne played both the male and female character and he was certainly believable as both. Whenever the Lili character was on screen you really did feel as if you were watching an actress and not just a man playing a female. Vikander is also excellent as the woman who finds the man she love slowly turning into someone else.
The film features some beautiful cinematography, a great music score and I also thought the screenplay was very good. The story itself drags a tad bit during the first portion but I think it asks a lot of really good questions about what love is and of course what one feels about who they really are. I thought the flow of the film was quite good and there's no question that it nails the costume design and sets. THE DANISH GIRL isn't a masterpiece but it's certainly a very good movie with some excellent performances. -
dave-mcclain21 December 2015"He's comfortable in his own skin," is usually seen as a compliment. It means that the person in question knows who he (or she) is and is content with that sense of identity. I dare speculate that it's a condition to which we all aspire. Unfortunately, many people around the world lack that inner peace because of a question of gender identity. Regardless of what others think about such an existential situation, people who feel uncomfortable with the biology with which they were born often suffer greatly over this conflict within their hearts and minds. They cannot be comfortable in their own skin, because they don't feel that their skin is really theirs. Before the somewhat more enlightened times of the 21st century, people who identified with a gender other than that to which biology assigned them suffered even more than some do today. In ages past, those people had little opportunity to make changes that would make themselves look on the outside as they felt on the inside. "The Danish Girl" (R, 2:00) is one such story.
Inspired by the true story of early 20th century married Danish painters Einar and Gerda Wegener, like David Ebershoff's 2000 book on which it's based, "The Danish Girl" is a fictionalized account of Einar's physical transition to Lili Elbe. Neither the book nor Lucinda Coxon's screenplay makes any claim to absolute historical accuracy. This story changes many of the facts for dramatic purposes. The real-life situation of Lili and Gerda's life was much more complicated than we see on screen. The result is a film that tells a simple story in a way that elicits empathy for the protagonists and enlightens the audience.
Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne plays Einar/Lili, and Alicia Vikander, his wife, Gerda. The couple lives in a large apartment in Copenhagen, Denmark, where they both make a living painting. At first, Einar's landscapes are more in demand and more respected than Gerda's portraits. One day when Gerda was in a hurry to finish a portrait of their mutual friend and ballerina, Oola (Amber Heard), Gerda asks Einar to stand in as a model by putting on Oola's stockings and heels and holding up Oola's dress in front of him. Although the scene is played with a combination of humor and awkwardness, it's obvious that Einar likes the clothes. He starts trying on his wife's clothes which gives birth to an idea. Gerda is a bit conflicted, but being the open-minded person she is, she suggests that her husband dress up as a woman to attend an art world function that he had been trying to avoid. And just like that, Lili is born.
The thing is that Einar had always felt like a female and being Lili was the first opportunity that he had really had to express what he felt was his true gender. Einar wears women's clothes and make-up more and more often, both at home and out in public. Lili even begins secretly seeing a local man named Henrik (Ben Whishaw). Gerda is understandably upset by all this, but she never criticizes her husband's inner turmoil or its outward manifestations. She wants to understand, and the more she does, the more she mourns her marriage, which she sees as slipping away. However, as all this is happening, her art career begins to take off. She paints Lili more and more, in fashionable clothes and in little or no clothes. As Gerda's style develops, increasing demand for her paintings soon leads the couple to move to Paris.
In Paris, Lili blossoms as a person, even as she seeks a more permanent solution to her feeling that her biology doesn't match her identity. She sees doctors whose diagnoses are wide-ranging, but are mainly focused on Einar/Lili having some sort of mental deficiency. Hans Axgil (Matthias Schoenarts), a childhood friend of Einar, tries to help, but he can do little more than offer moral support to the couple. Finally, Lili and Gerda find a possible solution in the person of German doctor Kurt Warnekros (Sebastian Koch). Dr. Warnekros offers to perform practically unprecedented sex reassignment surgery on Lili.
"The Danish Girl" is a very sensitive portrayal of a very tumultuous experience in the lives of two real people. Whether you sympathize with the situation of the two main characters or not, you're likely to empathize with them as people. While presenting a story about the controversial topic of gender identity, Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper also tells a very human story within the framework of the movie's plot. At its core, this is a tale of love and loss, of tolerance and devotion, of feeling comfortable in one's own skin. Although some Movie Fans may find some of the situations, images and the brief but graphic nudity (both female and male) to be disturbing, and the plot does drag at times, one of the main reasons to see this movie is for the award-worthy performances by the two leads. With impressive emotional range and depth, both Redmayne and Vikander make this story surprisingly rich and relatable. Hooper draws even more focus (literally) to the characters' feelings by choosing especially significant moments to bring his camera in very close for a tight focus on the characters' faces, while allowing everything beyond their necks to go out of focus. "The Danish Girl" deserves credit for its honesty, its emotional power and its succinct presentation of a very complicated story. However, some of the changes in the story seem designed to increase the impact of the story, a move I would call emotionally manipulative. For that and other reasons, I just wish that this otherwise excellent film had been more historically accurate. "B" -
letig19946 September 2015I honestly found this movie very touching and delicate. It is delicate in the way it treats difficult subjects as sexuality and the discovery of one's identity in an hostile period. The fact that it is a true story makes the whole movie even more involving.
I don't think the film is perfect - but the acting, cinematography, the screenplay are absolutely amazing. I especially loved the middle part - where all the characters try to find a way out of the problem and when for the first time they seem to be facing a fracture between them.
I thought it had a great power on people even though it doesn't seem to have had the effect I was expecting (at least during the premiere in Venice).
Eddie Redmayne hasn't had enough of his Oscar and I wish him all the best for 2016! -
namashi_129 December 2015Tom Hooper's 'The Danish Girl' is a brave story, about brave people, in a time where their bravery must've been counted as mental illness. Hooper chooses the correct actors to portray the parts & directs the film with dignity. However, The Writing doesn't always engage & is flawed in places.
'The Danish Girl' is A fictitious love story inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.
'The Danish Girl' salutes the courageous lives of Lili Elbe & Gerda Wegener. Both of whom who died too early, had the courage to be themselves, especially Lilli, who chose to express rather than being repressed. And Gerda, a women who had to face the reality, was a women who respected her husband's truth. That was True Romance!
But, 'The Danish Girl' isn't as tightly Written it should have been. Lucinda Coxon's Screenplay, which is based on the 2000 novel of the same name by David Ebershoff, is powerful, but in doses. The first-hour works wonders, but the second-hour slows down & the flaws in the Writing show up. The final-act, to put it bluntly, isn't half as emotionally moving as it deserved to be. In short, the Writing lets 'The Danish Girl' down, at some parts.
Tom Hooper's Direction is dignified. He has handled some of the most dramatic scenes, with great conviction. Danny Cohen's Cinematography is nicely done. Melanie Ann Oliver's Editing is perfectly sized. Art & Costume Design are fabulous. Alexandre Desplat's Score is enchanting. A Special Mention for the nearly done Make-Up.
Performance-Wise: Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe & Alicia Vikander as Gerda Wegener, deliver brilliant performances. Eddie, fresh from his Oscar-Win this year, strikes back with a yet another winning performance, thats both, brave & heartbreaking. Vikander is splendid as his wife, who conveys her pain, with concern & sensitivity. And the on-screen chemistry between the two, is wonderful. Ben Whishaw & Amber Heard are terrific in supporting roles.
On the whole, 'The Danish Girl' isn't as good as one expects it to be, but its well-directed & very well-acted nonetheless! -
zhongzl-kelley201425 December 2015This film melted me like the touch of silk. Although I wasn't fully convinced of the transformation of Einar Wegener, I am deeply touched by the Eddie Redmayne's fragile beauty as a women(or should I say Lily). He comprehends Einar's psychological conditions perfectly, and every twist of his facial muscles or movements of his eyes demonstrate the perfect empathy he has for his role. I don't care about logical consistency of plots or the point of view as long as he is the center of images, he flawlessly convinces me that Einar sincerely believe that he is born to be a woman. And as long as his feelings are as burning and heart-felt as reflected in my eyes, there's nothing to criticize about whether his decisions are morally right or wrong.
It's spirit-shattering that Einar died in the arms of Gerda, and Gerda did an extraordinary job in supporting her husband. I would give Alicia Vikander a full score too, her performance reconstruct perfectly a open-minded female artist that has unconditional love for her husband. She forsook the obscure love she had for Hans, the right to be protected and caressed as a wife, and everything women think they rightfully deserves from their husbands. Einar said before he died: "How would I ever deserve such love?"Seeing him pale like a vampire, watching his hand sliding from her hand, it's hard to imagine the heartbreak Gerda had. Would she blame herself for not forcing Einar to the doctors instead of "indulging his hallucinations?" Would she blame herself for letting her husband wear her silk pajamas and ballet dress for her own artistic career? Would she miss the man that looks to her eyes in the morning and whisper to her:"My life, my wife."? I drained my tears for her anyway. Gerda is such a wonderful woman.
I also feel obliged to comment on the institutionalization at that time. The idiot psychiatrist can't even figure out the difference between schizophrenia and a healthy man. One of the psychiatrist even proposed a lobotomy, and at the wrong spot. Lobotomy is supposed to sever the connection between frontal lobe and the rest of the brain to treat those who get major depression or anxiety disorder and don't react to medical treatment, the technique it is abandoned in the modern world for its inhumane side effects. Stupidity of the doctor reflects their ossified believes about trans gender people and their lack of professional knowledge, which explains how hard it was for Einar to defend his faith and for Gerda to stick to the belief that her husband was not insane.
Except for the fascinating acting skills, I really really really adore the lighting and color of the film. I can proudly hang every frame of the movie on my bedroom wall(except the scene Einar showed his male parts, maybe), and proclaim them art pieces. Harmony of colors and subjects, like oil painting, is the best solution for a film that is filled by sentimental transformations. Or it would easily fall into the trap of melodramatic depiction or confusion of emotions. But better than A Girl With a Pearl Earring, this film is consolidated by subtle facial expressions of actors and actresses, which clearly present the inner struggles of characters.
For conclusion, I love this films and the techniques are perfect. But I find it difficult to agree with Einar. He burdened Hans, Gerda, pained them emotionally, and even caused his own death, because he wanted to have a female body? Is it the ability to have sex as a woman that's more important, or is it his and his loved ones' welfare that comes in priority? Let's leave it to everyone's own judgment. -
adamonIMDb22 December 2016'The Danish Girl' is an extremely well made film with two outstanding lead performances from Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander. Everything about the film has a sophisticated, elegant feel, from the constume design to the atmosphere and cinematography. This is a classy film.
Although, in a way, this is to the film's detriment. The story is almost told with a mask on, it's difficult to see beyond the flawless surface and connect emotionally with the film. Everything is too nicey nicey, each scene is so perfectly crafted that it almost distracts you from what's actually happening in the film.
This is a very good film, but it could have been an excellent one, had it made more of an emotional connection with the audience. -
Anurag-Shetty21 January 2016The Danish Girl is a movie loosely based on the life of Danish artists, Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe(Eddie Redmayne) & Gerda Wegener(Alicia Vikander). Einar & Gerda are a happily married couple. Einar is the more accomplished artist, between the two of them. Gerda paints portraits & Einar paints landscapes. Gerda is frustrated because her portraits don't get sold, quite as often as she would like them to. One day, she makes Einar dress up like a woman. Gerda does this because, she wants to paint a portrait of Einar as a woman. Gerda & Einar come up with the name Lili Elbe, for Einar's alter ego. Gerda's Lili portraits are a huge success. What Gerda did not expect is, Einar feels extremely drawn to Lili & sinks more & more into Lili's personality as the days go by.
The Danish Girl is a fantastic film! The love shared between Gerda & Einar has been depicted beautifully, by director Tom Hooper. It is gut wrenching to see Gerda slowly lose her husband, as Einar soon realizes that Lili Elbe is, who he was always meant to be. Apart from the flawless & poignant story, this film has showcased exotic locales. Copenhagen & Paris, where the majority of the movie takes place, have been showcased beautifully. The performances are the highlight of the movie. Alicia Vikander is spectacular as Gerda Wegener. Vikander's multifaceted portrayal of her character, is the best part of the film. Eddie Redmayne is brilliant as Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe. Redmayne emulates the gait & mannerisms of a woman, to the T. Redmayne gives another memorable performance after The Theory of Everything(2014). However, Alicia Vikander outshines Eddie Redmayne, in every way possible. She carries the emotional weight of the film, on her shoulders. Amber Heard is impressive as Ulla. Ben Whishaw is great as Henrik. Matthias Schoenaerts is superb as Hans Axgil. Sebastian Koch is awesome as Warnekros. The supporting cast is good too. The Danish Girl is a must watch. It's an inspiration to transgender people, all over the world. -
The_Film_Cricket11 December 2015The timing for a movie like The Danish Girl could not be more perfect. Here is the true story of Einar Wegener, the celebrated Danish artist who became the first recorded case of sex reassignment surgery in history coming out right as publicity about Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner, and the critically acclaimed show "Transparent" are pushing all those worn out water cooler jokes right into the trash cans of history. The movie is a loving tribute not only to Wegener's courage in trying to find his own sexual identity during a time when such a thing could easily lead to mental institution, but also to the love and devotion of his wife Gerta who stood by him during his journey of self discovery.
And yet . . . the movie left me cold.
For all its emotional outpouring, mainly from a wonderful performance by Eddie Remayne as Wegener, The Danish Girl never quite hits the high points that I was waiting for. There's an undercurrent of expression that seems buried and never hits its emotional peak. That doesn't mean that the movie isn't engaging. It is a very involving story, and very well acted, but something feels restrained.
We meet Wegener at the height of his fame in the 1920s, married to the fellow painter Gerta Gottlieb (Alicia Vikander) whose work was no less brilliant but far less successful. Einar and Gerta's marriage is loving and lovingly active. Yet, for Einar, there is some piece missing, something in his soul is stirring to get out and as the movie opens those feelings emerge one day when Gerta, short for a deadline, asks him to put on a dress to pose for her painting. That's when the dam breaks and all the things that Einar has been struggling with finally bubble to the surface.
It becomes clear that what Einar has been feeling is not so much passionate affection for his wife (which he has) but a need to be near her, and a need to be who she is. When he touches her underwear it isn't because it's sexy, but because he longs to be qualified to be in it. When he stares at women at a party, it isn't out of lust, but out of envy. Gerta is, much to our surprise, very open to this. She's willing to embrace her man's budding orientation even if it is likely to make them social outcasts. She starts painting portraits of "Lili" but doesn't tell anyone that it's her husband. They even take Lili (to which he eventually changes his name) out in public where no one ever suspects that it is really Einar.
This, naturally, does not bode well with society at large. Early in the film a doctor gets Einar to open up about his sexuality and almost immediately prescribes shock treatment, reminding us that this was a time when doctors could essentially play God, prescribing dangerous "corrective measures" or simply locking a person away with no trial, examination or good reason. Clinically, this was to be his fate until, later, he met an enterprising (and far more open minded) doctor who suggested that Einar be part of his experiments in sex reassignment. That comes at the very end of the movie and is difficult to watch when you know that it eventually claimed his life.
What works best are the performances by Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander who lovingly recreate what must have been the most challenging relationship that any married couple might have had. She's accepting of her husband wearing lingerie under his suits and seems even a bit turned on. She sees it as kind of a kinky dress-up. The two start stepping out on the town together, not as husband and wife but as two girls on the town. For Gerta, this is a step that she finds that she must be forced to face, that Lili is becoming her husband's dominant personality. Naturally, she feels the weight of how odd this situation is.
The film allows us into the tight, closed-in spaces that Wegener seemed to occupy, symbolizing the confinement that he must have felt in real life. Redmayne, fresh off his Oscar win as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything gives us a performance that is achingly sad. He's a very expressive actor who always seems on the edge of bursting at the seams. And yet, like his performance as Hawking, he does wonderful work in a movie that I can't fall in love with. The film is too remote, too distance, too unwilling to engage us. The pieces are there, the story is well told but the emotional notes seem to be missing.
My other problem with the film is that while it celebrates Wegener's personal struggle it comes up very light on displaying his work. Wegener painted beautiful watercolors mostly of women and one suspects that they were all pried from personal expression. Yet, the work seems only fleeting in the movie, and I think that's a major misstep, if an artist's work in an expression of his soul then why don't we see him doing more of it? We see it, but we don't feel the passion that he poured into it. Gerta is actually the one who does more of the painting in the movie and it is never expressed why she wasn't more successful.
The Danish Girl is a movie that I struggled with. There are two beautiful performances here but I couldn't get to the emotions that I was supposed to feel. We never get to the middle of Wegener's true struggle with society at large. Yes, he's given shock treatments. Yes, he's beaten up by street thugs. But there's an element of danger missing from the film, something that I was supposed to feel but did not. This is a good and human film with greatness that is never allowed to come out. -
Jerghal28 February 2016Though it is nominated for 4 Oscars I wasn't looking forward to seeing it. The Danish Girl seemed like the typical arty-farty Oscar fare on paper but fortunately it was better than that. The best part of the film is the acting. Eddy Redmane does a great job but I was most surprised by Alicia Vikander. She almost steals the movie though she only has a supporting role. Mattias Schoenaerts is also in it with a supporting role and I must say: that man can do just about any language and accent and make it sound completely natural. The story was not that interesting to me and is somewhat of a typical subject matter for Oscar movies (that is movies about some sort of misunderstood minority and who was the first to start the revolution if you will). That being said, it is a very good movie, superb acting but on the other hand I don't consider this a must see.
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claudio_carvalho5 February 2017In 1926, in Copenhagen, the successful landscape painter Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) is happily married with the portrait painter Gerda (Alicia Vikander) and they have been trying to have a baby for six years. When the model Ulla (Amber Heard) does not come to their apartment, Gerda asks Einar to pose as a woman for her to proceed her work and Einar uses the alias Lili Elbe. There is a party and Gerda convinces Einar to pose of Lili to play a prank in the guests. However, Einar leaves his identity behind and unleashes the personality of Lili. He lives in a constant dilemma until the day he meets Dr. Kurt Warnekros (Sebastian Koch) that offers a dangerous surgery to change his sex. What will Einar do?
"The Danish Girl" is a film with the story of a woman trapped in a man 's body and one of the first surgeries to change the sex. The theme may be attractive for a few people, but the cinematography is magnificent and the performances are top-notch. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "A Garota Dinamarquesa" ("The Danish Girl") -
tuco739 December 2015The story could have been very dramatic and deeply touching, as it is a true story of both the internal conflicts of a man and the deep love of a woman to her partner. Unfortunately the meticulous attention to image rather than screenplay (to me) resulted in a quite cold and un- engaging movie, where beautiful costumes, interiors and landscapes are the only highlights. I found that even the acting of the brilliant young Eddie Redmayne was not that good, as his constant smiles and shy blinking eyes after a while seem to be the only stratagem he has to portray such a complex character (and after the first dozen of them I couldn't stand it anymore). A more sophisticated psychological portrait of the main character and a more dramatic rendition of his/her troubled soul would have given more solidity to a movie which seems too superficial.
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With the transgender movement heavily in the media with figures like Caitlyn Jenner, and countless others heading the conversation, a film like Tom Hooper's "The Danish Girl" feels vibrantly relevant in today's cinematic climate. Spearheaded by two powerhouse performances from Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl" is a luscious and gorgeously crafted piece, invigorating the soul with its conveying message of freedom and love.
As polarizing as Tom Hooper has been in his choices to shoot and frame his films like "The King's Speech" and "Les Miserables," two films that are still delightfully poignant years after, "The Danish Girl" is by far his most alluring film to date. Cinematographer Danny Cohen truly hits his stride from the opening frames, as he calls back to Dick Pope's work in last year's "Mr. Turner," but allows a story fragrantly moving to become his blank canvas in which to respectfully capture the film's most sentimental moments. If you're searching for the "Hooper-isms" like people shoved into the corner of a scene or extreme close-ups, you'll find them, but there's a resourceful way in which he's utilizing his tactics that feel genuine and necessary.
Last year Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in James Marsh's "The Theory of Everything," beating out some big names. A performance I quite liked but didn't fully understand the gravitation over other names throughout the year. As Lili Elbe, Redmayne ignites his most daring and captivating turn of his career. Visually married to the woman in dedication to the role, he allows 'Lili' to wash over him both with aggression and delicacy. It's a near masterpiece performance that I'll remember for years to come.
Equally compelling, and even more magnificent in her turn is Alicia Vikander, who in just under two hours, solidifies herself as one of the most breathtaking and exciting actresses working today. Vikander's subtlety and interpretation of 'Gerda', is a sensational vessel of complexity and honesty, as she runs the gauntlet of a woman desperate to understand and struggling to hold it together. As the tears well up in her eyes, and she desperately asks Lili to have 'Einar' hold her, it's the single most heart wrenching scene this year. It's the strongest and most compulsory turn by an actress this year, and one that will have the Academy Awards running to check off for a nomination.
The rest of the cast, in particular Amber Heard and Ben Whishaw is staggeringly good. Matthias Schoenaerts' massive and stoic persona adds to the mystery and complicated nature of Lili's existence.
Where "The Danish Girl" faults itself is with the script by Lucinda Coxen. While she successfully captures the spirit and tone of Lili's struggle through her life, her inserted beats of on-the-nose dialogue can be trying at times. Having Gerda say things like "I felt like I was kissing myself" when recalling her and her husband's first kiss, was a little over-the-top in an attempt at foreshadowing. However, she delightfully captures the humble beginnings of their marriage, with the secret that plagues their union with accuracy.
Just one year after winning his long overdue Oscar for scoring "The Grand Budapest Hotel," composer Alexandre Desplat synchronizes fervor and empathy with his brilliant orchestra. I believe its one of his most profound works to date. Same can be said for Production Designer Eve Stewart and Costume Designer Paco Delgado, who both capture the essence of European history with accuracy and vitality.
"The Danish Girl" is a seducing feature with fortitude and grace, all of which measures up to heroic story of being yourself, no matter what the circumstances. Tom Hooper's direction, along with Redmayne and Vikander's work will likely be at the top of Oscar's to-do list for the awards season. -
Lar-1026 December 2015Very few films would I say are pretty much perfect. But this one is. I don't want to belabor all of the extraordinary aspects of the film, so I'll mention what I think are the salient ones.
For anyone interested in understanding viscerally what it means emotionally to be transgender, this film provides an extraordinary pathway. The process of Lili's awakening realization that she is transgender is, simply, how it happens. From a touch, to an interest, to an attraction, to a gravitational pull and then compulsion borne from the powerful force of Lili's authentic self exploding from her unconscious to the surface.
The tidal waves that this unleashes are extraordinarily accurately portrayed. From the creative block this causes in Lili's painting, to the tension and near-destruction of her marriage, to destructive social forces: thug violence, the law that would incarcerate her, medicine that pathologizes her, all of these are frighteningly accurate and are still ever-present today.
Probably the most profound aspect of the film is the love that evolves and deepens between Lili and Lili's wife, Gerda, not just in spite of, but because of her recognition of Lili's need to transition. Most spouses abandon their transgender loved ones when they come-out or transition. Gerda doesn't and this enables them both to discover and create a love that is beyond what most of us will ever experience.
I could go on about the virtually perfect performances, story structure, character development, cinematography and direction, but you just have to see the film because no words do it justice. I don't think I've ever been brought to tears during most of a film. But this one did. If you see it, you'll never be the same. -
zhou_ne-3719530 December 2015It should be a splendid and even excited story about the person who accepted the first trans-gender surgery with numerous elements as mysterious, ecstasy, fear, inner conflict and the outside society.
However, the whole movie pays too much attention to the costumes and landscape. Of course it means it presents a wonderful visual beauty. When I was watching, I always kept what they wore in mind and determined to shop some vintages store.
While on the other hand, the story itself became even boring. I don't know why Lily is always crying and how she wants to be a woman. Becoming a woman is not just about wearing pretty dresses and making up herself and flirting good looking men. Self-consciousness, why I must become a women, should be explore in a more deep way.
To be honest, I am quiet disappointed. -
slydon1323 December 2015The story is based on a husband and wife, both of whom paint. Einar does landscapes and Gerda, portraits.
They seem to have a happy life together in their 20s but Einar begins to explore his sexuality. At first Gerda goes along with it for entertainment but is shocked to find her husband is attracted to men. Enter the very busy, Ben Whishaw. His new persona, Lilly, takes over quickly and Gerda is as supportive as a spouse could be.
It is shocking how cruel the medical profession were - almost as though torturing somebody would create a positive change?! but it was really punishment, thinly veiled.
In fairness to Eddie R., few men can pull it off but his features are not so broad and masculine. He begins to become Lily, who favours sensual fabrics, like silk and velvet.
Looking for a more understanding society, they move to Paris where her portraits of Lilly bring Gerda success, which she enjoys. Enter Matthias Schoenaerts as a friend to both.
This film was beautifully shot and didn't need special effects or a huge cast to be engaging. -
abdullahkhanpathan24 November 2015In this spoiler-free review, I hate to say this, that the only little good thing about this movie was Eddie's performance which made the movie a little better. BUT DO NOT GO WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS movie. Movie clearly lacks a sense of writing and horrible direction. But I tell you you can save the money for a real movie in a few days, like Star Wars VII, or The Revenant. This movie was absolutely entirely horrible. I went to the cinema very excited like I should have been, wondering if the new Eddie Redmayne movie will be better than his previous one(The Theory of Everything), which was a great masterpiece! But the movie was tedious and boring all through out the hours, no excitement and Eddie was clearly not as good as he was in his previous movie, but he was good enough to make me at least RATE this movie a one star.
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neil-47615 January 2016In 1920s Copenhagen, young married artists Gerda and Einar indulge in sex games where Einar adopts the identity of Lili. Things rapidly turn more serious as it transpires that Einar feels, deep inside, that Lili is his real identity, trapped in Einar's body. Gerda, as confused as Lili is, supports her as she makes her way towards her true persona in times which were not really ready to deal with that sort of issue.
Eddie Redmayne, as Einar/Lili, and Alicia Vikander as Gerda, are garnering praise for their performances here, and it is richly deserved: they are both deeply affecting in this adaptation of a novel which is based on real people. Redmayne adopts an androgynous physicality which makes Lili credible, and Vikander has a quality of fragile beauty intermixed with plainness which is quite unique (her English accent is also exemplary), which means that they are both physically appropriate for their roles, but the real strength of this film is in the emotional stakes.
I have no experience and little interest in gender confusion – or, at least, I didn't. But this film raises questions about the nature of gender and its interaction with love. There is a sequence where Ben Wishaw attempts to kiss Lili – a gay actor playing a man whose sexual orientation is unclear, attempting to kiss a straight actor playing a man masquerading as a woman whose sexual orientation, at that point, is apparently straight, and it left me enormously confused on a level I'm not familiar with. I came away with the conclusion – glib, perhaps – that people are people and, while sexual orientation is important on an individual level, maybe it's not that important in terms of absolute love.
There is a lot of food for thought in this film. -
Sleepin_Dragon3 March 2018I wasn't sure this would be a film I'd engage with, but having watched it, I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed it. I know it's received criticism for being historically inaccurate, I would remind those naysayers that it is a film, not a piece of real life. It is a dazzling looking film, it looks absolutely sensational, the visuals are beautiful, if ever an Oscar should have been won for design, costumes etc, this is it. Alicia Vikander is of course phenomenal, and worthy of her Oscar, but I have to say Eddie Redmayne is the catalyst that made the film for me, as he so often does, a truly outstanding actor, who's career rightly so is taking off. It's quite a sombre film, not one I'd particularly revisit anytime soon, but I'm certainly glad I've seen it, and I certainly would recommend it.
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Garcwrites20 January 2016Going in I only new three things about the cast and crew, Les Miserables and The King's Speech Tom Hooper directed it, and that Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander starred in it. So imagine my surprise when I saw the supporting cast, Ben Whishaw that I've loved for a decade now, and crazy talented Matthias Schoenaerts.
The Danish Girl is in the Zeitgeist. The transgender community have been making the news these days and this film tackling this subject matter at a time - the 1930s - when it was even less accepted.
The film got to me, it made me incredibly uncomfortable, I shuddered and even put my sweater's hoodie on, because I couldn't imagine that a man would even consider or dare to go out dressed as woman in the late 1930s no less. It took courage, and for two hours I was scared for Lili's life. It goes to show the realism that exudes from the screen. Like I've also said in my trailer review the movie has a weight to it, it's emotionally charged, and is a great journey to embark on. Tom Hooper tackled the story brilliantly by infusing an elusive shift to the way he filmed Einar and Lili. Some of the shots and cinematography were beautiful and felt very intimate.
The intimacy and bubble like atmosphere of the film is accentuated by the chemistry Vikander and Redmayne have. I never had a doubt that Redmayne could do it, his performances are usually intricate and riddled with subtleties, so it was a pleasure to see in The Danish Girl. But The reel surprise for me was Alicia Vikander, who completely stole the show. She one upped Redmayne's incredible performance and made the story her own. It's Gerda's story and it's a beautiful one. The performances are completed with memorable appearances by Ben Whishaw and Matthias Schoenaerts, who are great, and also Amber Heard who I didn't recognize but liked in this role.
The Danish Girl is a threat, solid performances, nicely directed but it might not be for everybody.
By @garcwrites -
diecaorumeng21 October 2015Watched it at TIFF this year and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, the director took a more artistic play on character and scenes.
I personally really liked the music, it gave me goosebumps in all the right ways, and definitely helped create that mood of confusion and frustration and just a heavy flow of emotions.
The actors were awesome, of course, I was extremely impressed with Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of the transition and transcendence. There was a really emotional scene in the movie (not gonna spoil anything) where I was absolutely blown away by Ms Vikander's acting, it was incredible to see all the raw emotions.
Touching, moving, and a much needed drop of new blood in the mainstream cookie-cutting film industry indeed. -
Horst_In_Translation27 January 2016"The Danish Girl" is a 2-hour film from 2015 that deals with the lives of Gerda Wegener and Lili Elbe. For writer David Ebershoff and screenplay writer Lucinda Coxon, this British production is the biggest success of their career so far. A lot of it has to do with Academy Award winner Tom Hooper being in charge behind the camera here. And even if he missed out on nominations, his film is one of the big players this awards season with 4 Oscar nominations. Alicia Vikander (demoted to supporting) has a true shot at winning in my opinion. I believe she was good, not great, but certainly better than her competitors Winslet and Mara.
In the center of the film, however, is Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne's turn as a woman trapped in a man's body. It sure was a courageous endeavor she went on in terms of society and medicine when she makes the decision to go through with her plan of becoming a woman. The film features many actors I have never heard of for the smaller parts, but the likes of Ben Whishaw, Matthias Schoenaerts and Sebastian Koch are certainly familiar faces for film lovers.
I enjoyed the hell out of Hooper's last full feature film, "Les Misérables", which already had a strong performance by Redmayne too, so I cannot say I liked his newest film as much as I liked his previous, but it was still a pretty decent watch for the most part of its 120 minutes. Redmayne gracefully walks the fine line between over-the-top and authentic from start to finish and deserves his Oscar nomination too. There were a couple very moving moments and the film is almost never cringeworthy, which is a strong achievement for a movie that has a man walking around in drag for roughly 90 minutes. I recommend "The Danish Girl". It's nowhere near the best of 2015 in terms of films, but the two strong lead performances and the interesting story as well as the fine visual work are certainly worth checking out. Thumbs up. -
flickernatic4 January 2016Set in Copenhagen in the mid-1920s, this film tells the story of the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery, a story which does not, sadly, have a happy ending. Einar Wegener, a Danish painter, has been married to a fellow-artist, Gerda for six years. Gradually he becomes obsessed with the idea of becoming a woman, a quest which leads him to submit to untried medical procedures which eventually prove fatal.
It does not take much imagination to appreciate how challenging it must be to find oneself stuck in the 'wrong' body and impelled to rectify this situation by resort to surgery. Perils loom on all sides - the physical risks, the psychological anguish, the threats to personal relationships, the fear of social ostracism or worse - and smooth passage seems improbable. How much more so given the state of medical and psychological knowledge in the 1920s and a less liberal moral climate than prevails today. Surely such a prospect must make for rich and vibrant drama. Yet, despite its dramatic potential, the Wegeners' story is given such a flat treatment by Tom Hooper that the movie verges on boring at times.
A bleak note is struck from the start and continued with little respite. The mood is cold and gloomy, emphasised by the colourless, sparely-furnished interiors (light-grey walls in their apartment, harsh white wall tiles in the clinics and consulting rooms - only when Gerda visits Paris do we see some gorgeous period interiors), the bare wintry landscapes of Copenhagen, and the minor-key music. The tempo is one-paced and the dialogue is often stilted and dreary. Can this really be someone engaged in a momentous struggle with their identity and, consequently, with their personal relationships and their position in society? Indeed, when Einar first steps out into the world as Lili, she seems barely noticed by those around her despite looking far from convincing as a female.
Einar and Gerda never explore with each other in any sustained way what is happening to him and its implications for their relationship. Partly because of this we get little understanding of Einar's self-perception, little sense of his insights into his condition. Similarly, we don't encounter the desperation of someone in crisis except very late on when Einar is battling with the immediate after-effects of his operations. Mercifully, we are spared visual details of his exposure to the surgeon's scalpel.
The lead characters are surprisingly one-dimensional and seem to be narrowly self-obsessed. The emotional range is equally constrained for while we witness neediness, longing and lust, there is no real passion, no sense of warm affection or love between Gerda and her husband. Nor do we see real anger displayed, despite there being much for the characters to be angry about. Lili's quest for transformation seems to bring no one any lasting pleasure.
The exaggerated and awkward manner that Eddie Redmayne brought to the character of Stephen Hawking, and which worked brilliantly there, does not really do so here. Instead it proves a distraction. Lili repeatedly responds to male attention with little more than shy downward glances and simpering expressions which become rather embarrassing to watch. Perhaps only a more accomplished actor than Redmayne could carry off this highly demanding role successfully. Alicia Vikander does much better as Gerda but cannot shine so brightly in Redmayne's shadow.
There is clearly plenty of talent associated with this film and the story of the Wegeners seems worth telling. But this movie fails to hit the mark.
Viewed at Home (successor to The Cornerhouse), Manchester, UK, 03.01.16.