Review of The Danish Girl (2015) by Alex S — 15 Apr 2016

A beautifully directed and admirably performed story that captures all the poise and grace, but lacks the required passion.

If Eddie Redmayne wins his second Oscar in a row, nobody should be surprised. It's a wonderful transformation; a sensitive and controlled transformation benefiting of his subject. Its hard to imagine anybody else pulling it off. However, whilst the nuanced mannerisms are all there, there isn't quite enough biting passion to grab you.

As with The Kings Speech, Tom Hooper delivers the story with great balance and quiet beauty. We're taken in by our characters at first, in their polite idyll, but The Danish Girl fails to fully break that idyll as Colin Firth and co. did in 2010.

Nevertheless, it's an important film. Lili's voice is one that needs to be heard and Hooper lets her plight simmer without any contrivances on the heartstrings. One thing that seemed under explored was how Lili's wife, played splendidly by Alicia Vikander, dealt with her role in the change. As I said, everything seemed to move along with an almost overly English politeness.

A fine film by everybody involved, and one of the finest performances in recent years. Accomplished direction are aided by gorgeous costumes and set designs, making it very easy on the eye. It has a few missteps along the way and lacks that vital memorable scene that could push it toward greatness, but it's an enjoyable watch.

Oscars beckon. Four stars..