The Danish Girl (2015), R, ★★★

Eddie Redmayne as a transgender Einar Wegener.

Let me confess. I mean even though I understand the psychological emotions and depth of people who want to transform his/her body to another gender counterpart, it is a daunting challenge to both one's life and a family's life. It is crazy. However, there has been news in the media, mostly about the Bruce Jenner/Caitlyn Jenner transformation, regarding the transgenderism and sexuality that people tend to oppose themselves as natural human beings. I do not know how many people in the population has become the opposite sex but I was waiting for a movie that explores the perceptions and emotions of the process. Despite some self-indulgent camerawork and predictable arc, this is a solid, well-acted and moving film behind that process both physically and emotionally, thanks to two great performances.

Einar and Gerda Wegner (Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander) are artists or painters who are talented and happy with their lives in Denmark in 1926. The next morning, Gerda is painting a man's portrait in which simultaneously, Einar visits their friend, Oola Paulson (Amber Heard), at a ballet class. He allows Gerda to have her own space and have her own peace at their home. Einar takes more time with his painting that Gerda's because he is very meticulous in his detail and wants to portrays his paintings as realistic and breathtaking as he can.

When Gerda is finishing a large portrait of a woman and because Oola has not arrived yet, she asks Einar to wear the stockings and shoes to finish painting that part of the picture. He is nervous putting on the feminine clothing attire and when Oola arrives with flowers, she is delighted at the sight of Einar serving as the model and hands him a lily, telling him that must be his name. Gerda meets an art collector to evaluate her paintings and he tells her that the portraits are commonplace and not as unique as he would have pictured or imagined the meaning behind it.

When they are both invited to an event, Gerda suggests to Einar to dress up as a woman at the event, since he loves to wear the undergarments and clothing. He is dressed up as Lili, a "cousin" and catches Henrik's (Ben Whishaw) eye. They isolate themselves and Henrik flirts with Lili, who is awkward in his response. Gerda walks in and notices the two clumsily kissing. At home, Gerda is confused and comments that it was just a game. Einar explains that in Lili's mind, she did it so Lili wanted to. Gerda has found inspiration whereas Einar has found a weird inspiration, wanting to transform himself to a woman with some risks to his life.

Gerda (Alicia Vikander) painting Lili. 

This is serious Oscar-bait material that is somewhat self-indulgent in its framework and its theme of struggling identity. It is awards fodder for the weak. However, even though this is a safe movie, it is still a good movie because of the aspect of the relationship between the two main characters both romantically and psychologically. We see them at their prime as two painters enjoying life but when the transformation is in the process and begins anew, it impacts mostly Gerda more than it does Lili/Einar. We explore the pain behind the relationship fading away because a person wants to change physically but no matter what, she will be there for Lili/Einar.

Eddie Redmayne does give another awards-caliber performance as a person who re-awakes with a desire to being a woman. In terms of psychology, he explains that in both minds that is both poignant and ludicrous that he as a guy cannot become the person he can identify with other people, but as a woman, he becomes something more. But, I bought him as the Lili character. He was that good. But, a more impressive performance is Alicia Vikander's one, who is the star of the year with this movie, Ex Machina (one of my favorite movies of the year) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., is the most complex as she is both vulnerable and strong in being part of the transformation process. Also, there is a moment in which she thinks that she changed Einar's life of being transsexual. It's heartbreaking. She deserves a nomination.

Director Tom Hooper, of The King's Speech and Les Miserables fame, constructed a film with elegance and sophistication accompanied by Danny Cohen's breathtaking cinematography. It is a nicely disciplined movie about the personal aspects of transformation with some medical behind-the-scenes of the process in the 1920s. It was the first sex-change operation ever. It does take a while to establish its themes and get along with the characters because of its pacing but it gets our attention with the party scene. Even it looks great, Hooper's direction sometimes bothered me in getting the actors to get on the side and just glare at something or cry. Even with its inconsistent pacing in the first half-hour and some tiring direction and weird camerawork, this is a moving film to witness Redmayne's character blossoming into another self with personal backstory. It is a good, relatable movie for today's society.

***