A fictitious love story inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.
The picture-postcard beauty of the imagery is in stark contrast to a storyline, which, for all Lili's courage and determination to find her true self, is often bleak in the extreme.
This fictionalised biopic of pioneering transgender artist Lili Elbe is well made and sympathetic, if a little too tasteful.
Director Tom Hooper, who made The King's Speech and Les Misérables, maintains a sense of delicacy and dignity throughout The Danish Girl.
Eddie Redmayne shines as a transgender trailblazer. But a stiff love story and stately staging make this Danish too sweet…
The story of transgender pioneer Lili Elbe is stripped of complexity and danger in favour of slick, sumptuous costume drama.
Redmayne’s transformation may grab the headlines but it is Vikander’s touching turn that steals the show. Sedate, certainly, but The Danish Girl is touching, timely and exquisite.
Alas, this all presented in such a shallow and dry way that it’s hard to engage with any of it emotionally, and the same goes for Redmayne’s performance – it’s all surface, never really getting beyond his willingness to look pretty in a dress.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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