Review of The Danish Girl (2015) by Garrett S — 24 Feb 2016

With trans issues springing into the mainstream over the past few years, the filmmakers behind "The Danish Girl" had a real opportunity on their hands. They could have told the story of Lili Elbe, one of the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery, with both honesty and depth.

However, what we have in the finished product is neither. The plot feels horribly reductive, presenting all its key players as archetypes that are mere obstacles to Lili becoming who she wants to be. All the doctors are evil, nobody understands her plight, and (as portrayed by Eddie Redmayne), she herself is little more than a nervous, giggling girl.

There are so many missed opportunities on the table here. For one, the relationship between Gerda and Lili post Lili's coming out has a unique dynamic that should have been further explored. Lili's childhood friend Hans also has the inkling of a character arc as he comes around to sympathizing with their situation, but this is never focused on as much as it could have been.

Instead, the final product feels like pandering Oscar-bait. A pretty little film, with a pretty simple story crafted to make you feel sad without any subtlety or reason to revisit it. 5.5/10.