Movie: The Danish Girl
Direction: Tom Hooper
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch, Amber Heard
Music: Alexandre Desplat
Cinematographer: Danny Cohen
Editor: Melanie Ann Oliver
Genre: Biography, Romance, Drama
Rating: ∗∗∗½
What is it about: It’s a biographical drama based on the novel of the same name by David Ebershoff, which is loosely based on the lives of Danish painters Einar Wegener & Gerda Wegener. The story revolves around Lili’s (Eddie Redmayne) ground-breaking journey of transforming as a transgender.
Why it’s disappointing: There’s not much to ponder on negativity here. If at all they had given a deep rendition of Lili’s troubled soul, it would have given a solidity to the movie, which I felt would be the right one.
What to watch out for: The film carries a strong message with the internal conflicts of a man and the deep love of a women towards her partner. A playful act between the couple goes upside down for the husband, finding his inner self different from the others. The delicate subject was handled with great caution keeping the sentiments intact.
A role of this calibre was performed with élan by Eddie Redmayne, last year he played Stephen Hawkins and bagged an Academy Award, now “Lili”. This really worries me about the chances for Leonardo Di Caprio. Eddie has a natural penchant to carry off distinctive roles. He literally gets under the skin of the character. He blushed like no girl would, and a body language putting any women to shame. For a moment you forget that the role is played by a man. He was so damn convincing and was hard to take your eyes off, as “Lili” demanded an undivided attention.
Alicia Vikander as Gerda was a character with whom you’ll fall instantly in love with. It was etched out well, she did an exceptional job of a wife who is deeply in love with her husband at the same time she supports him in his transformation. She performed the troubled nature with great perfection. She will be a strong contender at the Academy Awards this year.
While these characters were strongly making their case, there was another underlying story which was being conveyed through the lens by cinematographer Danny Cohen, the film had beautiful cinematography which captured the Copenhagen to its fullest. The art direction of the film was another thing to look for. The film was well cut by Melanie Ann Oliver and all of this was enveloped with a mellow score by Alexandre Desplat.
Verdict: Tom Hooper sketched a painting which showcases the sophisticated art in its simplest form, rendered with powerful play by Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikandar, leaving you in their awe.
