Review of The Danish Girl (2015) by Nick P — 07 Jan 2016

Last year, Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for his transformative performance in The Theory of Everything. Now, he has gone beyond that with his role in The Danish Girl, a career best.

THE DANISH GIRL is impeccably adapted from the book that tells a fictionalized version of real life couple Einar and Gerda Wegener. They are happily married, good-looking, young, and full of hot passion for one another. Right away, their chemistry is locked and loaded.

Both are artists admired for their work but Gerda seeks for something more. She asks Einar to take in as a female model and he does. The moment when he caresses the dress and the pulp in his eyes is the very first step of the blossoming of Lili Elbe. Make no mistake that as Lili, Redmayne gives off the perfect look for her. From his softening face to his sharp cheekbones to a slender figure, physically, Lili is as beautiful as the film's production pieces.

Gerda treats the whole thing as something to spice up their relationship (the real life Gerda was known for her erotic lesbianism represented in her paintings), unaware of the upcoming emotional battle that she has to endure along with both Einar and Lili. From there, they are all put to a test of their own love and how willing they are to accept growth of Lili.

Director Tom Hooper (Les Miserables and The King's Speech) puts the "beaut" in "beautiful" with this gorgeous piece of work. Every color, every delicate fabric, lighting, hair styles, and soaring tone makes The Danish Girl look like the most prestigious film of the year. The images are attractive but also have a feeling of gloom, much like Einar and Gerda's whole marriage. I've never been a fan of Hooper, but he has constructed a picture that's easy to admire and let's the audience to decide on whether or not to love it for what it is. To accept it.

And that's the whole point.

In its core, no matter the allegations of it being propaganda for the LGBT community (whatever that means), The Danish Girl is a love story between two people who learn the meaning of what it is to love a person for his or her flaws and how to come to terms of their identity.

Some may think that's hollow or playing too safe with a subject matter such as this. In actuality, the film goes into the more internalized struggle rather than the grittiness of it all. Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn't. For this, it makes it worthwhile.

Though, with all of the moving colors and passionate direction, there was nothing more astounding and heartfelt than the two leads. They are what make The Danish Girl so attentive.

Eddie Redmayne puts on the gloss and glamour for Lili's surface and effortlessly portrays her pain and deep cry for acceptance. He also flips with Einar who must go through such a quiet fight with himself on whether or not to contain his true self or to hurt his wife. It's not an easy performance and that's what makes it one of the finest this year.

Alicia Vikander is equally heartbreaking as the broken Gerda. She's stuck between wanting happiness for her husband and wanting happiness for herself. Through her real tears and weakened voice, she gives Gerda more than the role of a concerned wife. She gives her humanity and that's utter perfection. "You're my whole life," she cries. "I need to hold my husband".

When together, Redmayne and Vikander are electrical currents that strike to the bones. And it's immediate too. The line, "I love you because you're the only person who makes sense of me" is what solidifies their whole relationship. They go through this journey together and that's what is truly alluring about it all.

Passion sweeps through it all and with conviction, The Danish Girl is one of the most magnificent pictures of 2015.