The Danish Girl

I am a huge fan of Eddie Redmayne!  The one tear that falls down his face in his portrayal of Marius during "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" in the movie version of Les Miserables just about kills me and his physical transformation as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything is nothing short of spectacular.  When I saw a still of him as Lili Elbe during the filming of The Danish Girl last year, I was very intrigued and I couldn't wait to see the film.  It was released on Christmas Day and I had the chance to see it yesterday.  It tells the real life story of the Danish landscape painter Einar Wegener who underwent the first gender reassignment surgery in the 1930s.  Redmayne portrays the tortured Wegener as he comes to terms with the fact that he is a woman trapped in a man's body and Alicia Vikander plays his wife Gerda, who is also a painter.  When a model does not show up for a sitting, Gerda asks Einar to pose for her wearing stockings, ballet slippers, and a silk dress.  Einar enjoys the feeling of the silk and begins to wear Gerda's clothing.  At first, Gerda encourages this because it heightens their physical relationship.  Considering it a bit of fun, they create the persona of Lili whom Gerda dresses and coaches on how to appear as a woman (in some amusing scenes).  Gerda and "Lili" attend a ball but the game loses its appeal for Gerda when she sees Lili kissing another man (Ben Whishaw).  Einar continues to dress as Lili behind Gerda's back but finally breaks down in an incredibly charged scene and confesses to her that he feels more alive as Lili.  Gerda struggles to support Einar in his decision to become a woman because she loves him and wants him to be happy but she knows that it will mean losing her husband.  Her struggle is further compounded by the fact that her paintings of Lili have become the toast of Paris.  She needs Lili to be her muse but she wants Einar to be her husband.  It is a beautiful love story with incredible performances.  Redmayne, once again, undergoes a complete physical transformation for this role particularly when Lili stares into a mirror and practices feminine gestures.  You literally cannot take your eyes off him!  Vikander, whom I am beginning to respect more and more, is incredibly sympathetic as Gerda and her journey is just as compelling as Lili's.  I found her performance to be deeply affecting, especially when Gerda begs Lili to let Einar come back to her.  It is a lavish period piece filled with beautiful interiors juxtaposed with shots of Copenhagen, Paris, and Dresden, gorgeous costumes, and an evocative soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat.  It is very slow moving (there are a lot of scenes with Lili practicing gestures in a mirror, including one with full-frontal nudity) and it is sometimes difficult to watch, especially when doctors describe Einar as perverted and want to commit him and when he is attacked, but it is compelling, nonetheless.  It is not for everyone but I highly recommend it as a beautiful film with stellar performances.