Danish Girl

Finally 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 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.

I 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!

Though 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.

'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.