Review of The Danish Girl (2015) by Brett H — 25 Jan 2016

The Danish Girl is adapted from the book of the same name, and follows the true story of Einar Wegener, a man who became one of the first people to undergo sexual reassignment surgery in the mid-1920s.

The film tells a fictional love story between Einar (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife, Gerda, played brilliantly by Alicia Vikander, who were both painters living in Paris where Einar reveals his secret after Gerda has him pose in women's clothing for a painting.

Eddie Redmayne deserves praise for his brave portrayal and willingness to be so vulnerable, but his performance is a bit one-note and it's not too big a stretch to see a man with his features portray a woman.

Alicia Vikander on the other hand completely holds this film together with her charming charisma and her character is infinitely more interesting than Einar as she both has to be accepting of his wishes, and okay with the fact that she's losing her husband and will not bear the child she desperately wants.

Tom Hooper directs and as usual with his films, the attention to detail and period setting look amazing, but the film is rather flat and unengaging apart from the acting and it becomes tedious to look at after a while.

The scene where Einar realizes his desire to live as a woman is a bit heavy-handed and not subtle at all, and the filmmakers really GO THERE in a scene where he wants to hide his manhood; there's no tiptoeing around the uncomfortable stuff.

This film is clearly oscar-bait in the worst way and apart from the performances, it's actually quite a bore to sit through: a shame for such rich subject matter, but the movie takes no chances.