The Danish Girl pretty much lives up to expectations: it is a beautifully shot (by Danny Cohen, a Hooper stalwart), leisurely in pace, carefully directed and is as much to do with art, the senses and a remarkable love story as it is with the transgender issue. Eddie Redmayne is strong if a little theatrical at times, there is good support from Matthias Schoenaerts and Ben Whishaw in particular, but the film undoubtedly belongs to Alicia Vikander in a striking and luminous performance that engages throughout with its nuance and credibility. There are emotional short-cuts that jar in the second half, but overall the film is sincere, thoughtful and addresses some of the prejudices that still exist.
