Great Danes

Rating: Null/10 (24 February 2017)

Inspired by a 1920s Danish artist with gender dysphoria who became one of the first to ever opt for surgical gender realignment, this Tom Hooper drama offers an intriguing insight into a fairly recent time when such terms were unheard of. The central character's dilemma is, as a result, twice as interesting as he not only has to wrestle with his own identity but a lack of support and understanding. Promising as this might sound, and relatively convincing as lead actor Eddie Redmayne is in drag, his character is always self-absorbed with a near total disregard for his wife's feelings that renders him hard to relate to. Alicia Vikander fares better as the neglected wife in the equation with a more dynamic character arc as she gradually learns to accept that she needs to "lose" her husband for him to be happy; looks convey more than words in a memorable moment as she is told "he won't be your husband" after surgery. In fact, a more enticing film could have been spun from concentrating more on her. Something also feels amiss in how Vikander dressing Remayne as a woman (for a pose) is the event that triggers everything. We are later given a couple of anecdotes about him having similar feelings in the past, but it mostly feels that dressing up started it all - not deep-rooted inner doubts. Of course, there is a limit to how much can be fitted into a two hour feature, and with sterling cinematography and great music, plus accurate costumes and sets, 'The Danish Girl' does a decent job, even if it sometimes feels like it is only skimming the surface here.