Formula: The Theory of Everything + gender identity
Cast: It's Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander vs. the world. In this case, the world consists of Ben Wishaw, Amber Heard, and Matthias Schoenaerts (who are actually all on their side, thus negating my opening sentence, which sounded better the way I said it).
Plot: Einar and Gerda Wegener (Redmayne and Vikander respectively) are married painters of some renown in Denmark. One day, Einar pretends to be a woman as a ruse for a party. This awakens feelings that he has long suppressed that he was born in the wrong body. Einar Wegener becomes Lili Wegener. Gerda and Lili then try to understand what that means for each of them and their relationship.
Thoughts:
Sometimes the easiest way into a movie is through a comparison. In The Danish Girl's case, I was very surprised by how similar this felt to Redmayne's The Theory of Everything. Both are about couples trying to last through changes in Redmayne's body. The central relationships feel very similar. In both cases, the lead actors are better than the movie around them.
Eddie Redmayne is tremendous. He is one of the best actors around when it comes to the details: those small twitches and looks that fill out a performance. It starts as a something very subtle and ends as something much bigger and it flows seamlessly. Alicia Vikander might be even more impressive than Redmayne. I was already a fan of her from Ex Machina this spring. This is something completely different. She's a loose and open person, but the emergence of Lili rocks her to her core. This is a very reactive performance which is every bit as difficult as what Redmayne is doing. What made the movie for me though is their relationship. They are such a great couple in the beginning. It's heartbreaking as they realize over the course of the film that things can't be the same anymore. I just want those two to be happy, even when I'm not sure what that means.
Sadly, the excellent performances don't have a script to match. The story moves in fits and spurts. Some parts get too much time to breathe, like Lili's relative seclusion in Paris, while others skip by several dramatic beats, like Lili's decision to get her sex reassignment surgery. With lesser actors this movie could've been in serious trouble.
Elephant in the Room: I'm confused. I know. I came out of that movie with as many questions as I did answers. I lost track of nuances at some point. I was confused by things like the status of Gerda and Lili's relationship once Einar was gone. At one point, I followed this with a list of questions that could almost all be answered with something like "sexuality is fluid", so I opted to not even ask. I guess I would've really liked the end to move a little slower. because things were moving faster than I could keep up with. I was just glad that, despite everything, Gerda and Lili never lost their emotional connection. That's what made the movie.
To Sum Things Up:
See this for Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne and maybe a good cry. Don't get too wrapped up in the exacts of the story. It handles a complex topic delicately. Another impressive movie from Tom Hooper.
Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend
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