The Film
I'm not entirely sure that I'm over the last Tom Hooper film, Les Misérables. It was painful but beautiful, which made it hard to look away. All of that epic pain and beauty really pales in comparison to Hooper's latest, The Danish Girl. At least Les Mis had music and Sacha Baron Cohen. However, this drama is based on the sad, all-too-short life of Lili Elbe, the first known recipient of sex reassignment surgery.
First, let's talk about the happy stuff. This movie is absolutely gorgeous to watch, with wonderful costumes and scenery. It also reunites Hooper with one of his Les Mis stars, Eddie Redmayne. You probably know him best as 2015's Best Actor recipient, but his portrayal of the title character here did earn him another nod. The real revelation is Alicia Vikander, who took home a little gold for her emotional performance.
The film is set in the mid-1920s. Einar Wegener (Redmayne) is a popular landscape artist, while his wife Gerda (Vikander) isn't quite as established doing portraits. The two seem deeply in love, as well as in love with their work and lifestyle. Soon, things drastically change -- in more ways than one. One day, Gerda's female model is running late, so she asks Einar to fill in, complete with stockings and ballet slippers. This triggers something in Einar and there's no turning back. He soon becomes "Lili" full time, eventually opting for experimental sex reassignment surgery.
While The Danish Girl does have an interesting subject, a wonderful cast, and stunning cinematography, it's sort of a letdown. Frankly, it's hard to imagine a perfect Lili Elbe biopic, but there just seems to be way too much missing here. Of course, it's already 120 minutes, how much more could filmmakers possibly squeeze in? Well, more of Lili's actual life would be nice. We all know Hollywood takes liberties, but there is just so much more to this story.
So much of The Danish Girl is absolutely perfect; the look, the performances, and the direction. It's too bad that the actual content doesn't quite match up.
The Picture
Despite the 1920s backdrop, The Danish Girl doesn't seem dated one bit. The 1.85:1 image is one of the most memorable parts of the movie. The colors are soft and subtle, but gorgeous. However, the highlight here is definitely in the details. Eddie Redmayne's freckles, wisps of Alicia Vikander's hair, the paintings, and the surrounding scenery; it's just a really beautiful looking film from beginning to end.
The Sound
The Danish Girl is a pretty front-heavy mix. However, this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does a wonderful job of delivering the dialogue, which includes all of Lili's soft whispers. A few atmospheric sounds and Alexandre Desplat's score do manage to fill in some of the quieter moments of the film, but it's not a particularly active mix. It's a pretty beautiful track though; one that perfectly matches what's going on in the film.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
The Danish Girl is an interesting film, but seems sort of incomplete. Despite those omissions and a lack of special features on the disc, it's hard not to recommend this movie. The performances of the two leads and the AV make The Danish Girl one worth picking up.
Product Details
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