Movie Reviews: “The Danish Girl," “Spotlight” & "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"

Merry Christmas! Because Christmas is one of the biggest film-going days of the year, I decided to move up my movie reviews and will post a book review on December 28.  BTW-This is the first time all movies are rated four stars in the same post.

   The Danish Girl

   Rated R

The Danish Girl is the fictionalized story of Lili Elbe, the first identifiable patient to receive gender reassignment surgery.  Born Einar Wegener in 1882, Elbe attended art school at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he met and married fellow artist Gerda Gottlieb.  After living openly as a woman, Elbe eventually agreed to a series of experimental surgeries.

This film is beautifully done, and the cast and crew will be the recipients of many awards this season.  The sets are beautiful, the acting is superb, and the story is compelling.  To me, The Danish Girl is a must-see film!

   Spotlight

   Rated R

Based on a true story, Spotlight tells the story of a tenacious group of Boston Globe reporters who spent a year investigating sexual abuse allegations involving Boston priests.  What they discovered was years of abuse and cover ups by church officials, law enforcement and the legal system.

I went into Spotlight expecting to be a bit bored in this dialog-heavy production.  Instead, I found an absolutely riveting film that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.  Spotlight, too, will be recipient of many awards this season.

   Star Wars: The Force Awakens

   Rated PG-13

I don't want to give anything about this movie away, so I'll just say, "If you like Star Wars, this is a must-see movie!"