The Danish Girl

Director Tom Hooper takes inspiration from novelist David Ebershoff, whose fictional version of the story of Einar Wegener and his wife Gerda takes its inspiration in turn from the life of the historical trans pioneer. The resulting film is a gem, and a return to form for Hooper, who took the Oscar for "The King's Speech" but then made the much-derided film version of "Les Miserables."

For "The Danish Girl," Hooper focuses on tight storytelling, rich characterization, and meticulous cinematography. He also turns to "Les Miz" alumni Eddie Redmayne -- whose faultless imitation of Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything" snatched the gold at the last Oscars -- to portray Einar. It's a smart choice: Redmayne has an uncanny talent for body language, and he not only adapts wonderfully expressive, feminine movements for this project, but shows us how Einar, with observation and practice, comes to perfect them.

Alicia Vikander plays Gerda Wegener, who, like Einar, is a painter living in Copenhagen. Einar has found some success in the art world, but Gerda is struggling -- until she puts a gown on her husband and uses him as a model. Suddenly, her canvases take life -- but so too does Einar, who starts to understand that the act of dressing posing as a woman has unlocked something within himself, something that makes his life make sense. Though he lacks the language for it, Einar puts his finger on the epiphany when he says that he's "a woman -- inside." Vikander's Gerda struggles with this, of course, but she also shows what a true soulmate is when she takes his side and sees part her own confusion and into his clarity: "I believe him," she tells a skeptical physician.

The European art world the 1920s isn't prudish, but neither is it quite ready for this level of self-realization. (Most places in today's world aren't quite ready yet, for that matter.) In order to live as the woman he feels he's becoming, Einar takes on a whole new persona -- that of his invented cousin, Lili Elbe. He -- or rather, she -- also attracts a pair of suitors, one of whom happens to be an old friend: Art dealer Hans (Matthias Schoenaerts). (The other is a fellow named Henryk, played by Ben Whishaw.) Hans, though initially taken aback, finds himself to be deeply devoted to Einar...and falling in love with Gerda.

The film is so beautifully composed, acted, and produced that it's easy to overlook the flaws in the narrative, which proceeds fitfully. Even the creaky love triangle -- which is at stake despite the strange twist -- plays better than it should, the result of the cast's high wattage talent and Hooper's directorial mastery.

The Blu-ray release offers a short featurette, "The Making of 'The Danish Girl,'" which is as full of self promotion and as littered with glossy clips from the movie as anything of its ilk. Don't expect to find much of substance in the featurette, which makes an art of sizzle while not really trying to whip up a steak. Rather, come to this release for the movie, which all by itself makes this a title worth adding to your collection.

"The Danish Girl"
Blu-ray
$34.98
https://www.uphe.com/movies/the-danish-girl