'I think Lily's thoughts, I dream her dreams. She was always there.'

Rating: 10/10 (4 March 2016)

Transgender issues are finally being discussed and studied at length, and while we have no idea how widespread the numbers of people born in the wrong sexual receptacles is, it really makes no difference. This film is about the first trans gender reassignment surgery and that aspect works very well as a treatise on etiology and progress of the initial surgical candidate, but the film is more than that; this is a very powerful love story and therein lies its significance. It demonstrates the power and need for finding true, unconditional love. Based on a true story as written by David Ebershoff and adapted for the screen by Lucinda Coxon and direct with tremendous sensitivity by Tom Hooper, the true reason the film works so well is the quality of acting by the two lead characters and their supporting cast.
The setting is Copenhagen in 1926 (introduced by stunningly beautiful landscape photography which will be reflected in the main characters paintings). Danish artist, Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander), painted her own artist husband, Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne), as a lady in her painting. When the painting gained popularity, Einar started to change his appearance into a female appearance and named himself Lili Elbe. With his feminism passion and Gerda's support, Einar - or Elbe - attempted one of the first male-to-female sex reassignment surgery, a decision that turned into a massive change for their marriage, that Gerda realized her own husband is no longer a man or the person she married before. After a brief romantic dalliance with the handsome Henrik (Ben Whishaw), a childhood friend of Einar, art-dealer Hans Axgil (Matthias Schoenaerts), shows up and starts a complex love triangle with the couple. We are privy to the medical workup both by the dubious Dr. Hexler (Pip Torrens) and the genteel surgeon Dr Warenekros (Sebastian Koch) and the manner in which the surgeries proceed.
But the most important sense we gain from this long movie is the strength of character of both Gerda and Einear/Lili as played with consummate skill By Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne. The always-reliable Alexandre Desplat supplies the musical score and Danny Cohen the cinematography. Eloquent and memorable.