I thought it was OK.

Rating: 8/10 (10 February 2016)

'THE DANISH GIRL': Four Stars (Out of Five)
Eddie Redmayne is up for his second Best Actor Oscar, in two years, for his portrayal of a 1920s transgender Danish artist, named Lili Elbe; a pioneer of her time (after he won last year, for 'THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING'). Alicia Vikander is nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar; for playing Lili's wife, Gerda Wegener. The film was directed by Tom Hooper (who also directed the Academy Award winning films 'LES MISERABLES' and 'THE KING'S SPEECH'), and it was scripted by Lucinda Coxon. The movie was based on the 2000 novel, of the same name; which was only loosely inspired by the actual lives, of the Danish painters it portrays. The film has been heavily criticized; for it's historical inaccuracies, and it's questionable depiction of transgender people. Judging the movie, just on its own merits (as a film), I thought it was OK.
The story takes place in 1920s Copenhagen. A successful landscape artist, named Einar Wegener (Redmayne), lives happily with his wife, Gerda (Vikander); who's a popular portrait painter. One day, Gerda asks Einar to sit in on a painting for her. He must pose in a dress, and women's shoes, in order to do so. This triggers feelings, that Einar has long kept buried inside; of identifying as a woman. The rest of the movie details her struggles to become one; and Gerda's fight to stay by her husband's side (during the battle).
I don't know what it's like, at all, to be a transgender person; so I can't speak to how properly the film portrays it. I have a friend, who is a transgender woman, who says the movie doesn't do an appropriate job, of demonstrating what that life is like (there's multiple flaws in the film, she pointed out). I also knew little about Lili Elbe, or Gerda Wegener, before seeing the movie; so I can't speak to it's historical accuracy, either (but I've read it's horribly inaccurate). I do think the film is well directed, emotionally intriguing and decently acted (although I don't think Redmayne deserved another Oscar nomination). It definitely kept my interest, throughout it's 2-hour running length; and Vikander is fantastic in it!
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