BOOK VS MOVIE: The Danish Girl

The transgender community over the years has been far from treated properly. Though as of late, they've been represented much better throughout the media. Several TV shows and films feature trans women as actual people rather than a cheap plot twist or an even cruder punchline. It helps even more to have trans actresses to play those roles. (See Orange is the New Black, Sense8 and Tangerine as recent examples.)

However, there have also been cis actors playing trans women more frequently. (See Dallas Buyers Club and Transparent as recent examples.) There's a level of political correctness in such a depiction. Is it because Hollywood is still too afraid to advance with the times? Regardless, the printed word has been more sensible with matters like this.

David Ebershoff's novel The Danish Girl is a fictionalized account of Lili Elbe (when she was still known as Einar Wegener) and her marriage to Gerda Gottlieb (Greta Waud in the book). Ebershoff depicts this brief union not as a conflicted one because of Lili's so-called "perversion" but as one of deep understanding. (Whether it was entirely like that in real life is hard to say.)

Tom Hooper's adaptation makes Ebershoff's novel more melodramatic than it needs to be. (If anything, it cheapens the story.) Yes, Alexandre Desplat's score and Danny Cohen's cinematography make a gorgeous combination but they alone can't salvage Lucinda Coxon's thin script and Hooper's occasionally sporadic direction. (Same can be said in regards with Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander's performances.)

It's easy to see which of the two is better. Ebershoff's novel is a quiet depiction of marriage and devotion. Hooper's film meanwhile reduces it to a looming scandal, a shocking story from the previous century. Both also decidedly proved which is more with the times.

What's worth checking out?: The book.

The Damned United

By some means, Tom Hooper has been a somewhat controversial name in Hollywood. Not because his films focus on discussion-worthy topics but rather his abilities as a director come into question whenever he has a film released.

The two films that earned Hooper awards attention -- The King's Speech and Les Miserables -- are also what brought said controversy. But none of this got attached to any of his earlier works. (Okay, with maybe the exception of some episodes of John Adams.) One such early work is The Damned United, and thank God it hasn't been affected.

Thanks to the script by Peter Morgan, The Damned United is a fascinating film to watch. (And this is coming from someone who's not that big on sports.) Sure, some elements were added for the sake of drama but when has a film based on real events been 100% truthful?

Starring in The Damned United is Michael Sheen, an actor who doesn't get the right amount of recognition he deserves. Here, Sheen continues to prove he's a very viable actor. (Though anyone who's seen Frost/Nixon, another excellent Morgan-scripted film, would know that already.) His depiction of Brian Clough is of a man who's impulsive and demanding but very much a human being.

The Damned United is easily Hooper's best film. (Something that no one should be surprised by if they've seen it themselves.) Along with Morgan's script and Sheen's performance, the cinematography by Ben Smithard is stunning. (Much better framed than Danny Cohen's work for Les Miserables.) Seriously, be sure to see it.

My Rating: *****

Les Miserables

Tom Hooper is an interesting director. He first got recognized from the multi-award-winning mini-series John Adams. A few years down the line, The King's Speech is released, which again won many awards. (Though some were annoyed that he won Best Director instead of David Fincher.)

Now his new film Les Miserables may not get the same recognition as those two other projects (with the exception of perhaps a few categories), but it'll certainly be a crowd pleaser, especially to those who saw it on Broadway. (Trust me. The showing I went to was mobbed.) I myself never got to see it on Broadway nor did I read Victor Hugo's novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

The one attribute of Les Miserables that's been promoted heavily is that the actors are actually singing on camera rather than lip-syncing the playback. And boy, does it leave an impact. Hugh Jackman completely obliterates his action star image here. Russell Crowe, although not the strongest of the actors, certainly holds his own. Anne Hathaway is definitely the most heartbreaking of them all. Young stars Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne (who has a very impressive set of pipes) and Samantha Barks are also very good. And Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter steal every scene they're in. (Pun intended.)

As with all musicals, there's the matter of choosing a favorite musical number or two. For me, they were Hathaway's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" (that song alone should earn her an Oscar) and Redmayne's rendition of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables". You can just hear their pain as they sing.

Not a lot of people might agree with me, but I loved it. Yes, Hooper's direction is all over the place (his affinity for Dutch angles is evident), but he does succeed in providing a grand tale for mass audiences. Hey, I may be in the minority of thinking this, but this is an excellent film.

My Rating: *****

The King's Speech

Tom Hooper's The King's Speech by some standards appears to have everything that qualifies for an Oscar film (ie, lead character overcoming disability, based on real events, British royalty, etc.). Harvey Weinstein being a driving force for its awards campaign is another contributor. When you look past those small details, there is a very good film.

The film focuses on Prince Albert, Duke of York (Colin Firth) and his troubled rise to the throne as King George VI. Troubled because he suffers from a stammer that makes it embarrassing for him to speak, and because his family expects much from him. With the aid of speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), and the support of his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), he manages to control his stammer.

Okay, cliches all over, but just try to place yourself in Albert's shoes. Day in and day out, he listens to people of power while he remains a man of few words in fear of being looked down upon. In his own words, it's daunting "Because the nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them. But I can't speak."

The subplot's interesting. It focuses for a while on Albert's brother Edward, Prince of Wales (Guy Pearce). Foe those unaware of what sort of firestorm he conjured up, he was involved with a married woman. (The story is told in greater detail in W.E..) You can tell Edward's undergoing a great deal of stress.

The King Speech is quite good though not as great as some might say. Firth is very good, though he still should have won for A Single Man instead. All in all, a good display of acting is shown here.

My Rating: ****1/2