The Danish Girl

I honestly found this movie very touching and delicate. It is delicate in the way it treats difficult subjects as sexuality and the discovery of one's identity in an hostile period. The fact that it is a true story makes the whole movie even more involving.

I don't think the film is perfect - but the acting, cinematography, the screenplay are absolutely amazing. I especially loved the middle part - where all the characters try to find a way out of the problem and when for the first time they seem to be facing a fracture between them.

I thought it had a great power on people even though it doesn't seem to have had the effect I was expecting (at least during the premiere in Venice).

Eddie Redmayne hasn't had enough of his Oscar and I wish him all the best for 2016!

The story could have been very dramatic and deeply touching, as it is a true story of both the internal conflicts of a man and the deep love of a woman to her partner. Unfortunately the meticulous attention to image rather than screenplay (to me) resulted in a quite cold and un- engaging movie, where beautiful costumes, interiors and landscapes are the only highlights. I found that even the acting of the brilliant young Eddie Redmayne was not that good, as his constant smiles and shy blinking eyes after a while seem to be the only stratagem he has to portray such a complex character (and after the first dozen of them I couldn't stand it anymore). A more sophisticated psychological portrait of the main character and a more dramatic rendition of his/her troubled soul would have given more solidity to a movie which seems too superficial.

Because of the subject matter in The Danish Girl I wasn't sure this was going to be a film that I would particularly like but I need not have have worried because I thought this was a fascinating movie that justified it's plaudits. This is the story of Danish artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) who realised that despite being born a man he is really a woman and that woman is called Lile. Although Redmayne will quite obviously get all the praise for his role as Lile but I think the outstanding performance of this film comes from Alicia Vikander who plays his wife. As an actor she is exposed unlike Redmayne who has the make up to hide behind. Instead of being about Lile this film for me is more about the love of his wife who will do anything to make her husband happy. Even if that means losing him. in the process.

Though it is nominated for 4 Oscars I wasn't looking forward to seeing it. The Danish Girl seemed like the typical arty-farty Oscar fare on paper but fortunately it was better than that. The best part of the film is the acting. Eddy Redmane does a great job but I was most surprised by Alicia Vikander. She almost steals the movie though she only has a supporting role. Mattias Schoenaerts is also in it with a supporting role and I must say: that man can do just about any language and accent and make it sound completely natural. The story was not that interesting to me and is somewhat of a typical subject matter for Oscar movies (that is movies about some sort of misunderstood minority and who was the first to start the revolution if you will). That being said, it is a very good movie, superb acting but on the other hand I don't consider this a must see.

'The Danish Girl' is an extremely well made film with two outstanding lead performances from Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander. Everything about the film has a sophisticated, elegant feel, from the constume design to the atmosphere and cinematography. This is a classy film.

Although, in a way, this is to the film's detriment. The story is almost told with a mask on, it's difficult to see beyond the flawless surface and connect emotionally with the film. Everything is too nicey nicey, each scene is so perfectly crafted that it almost distracts you from what's actually happening in the film.

This is a very good film, but it could have been an excellent one, had it made more of an emotional connection with the audience.