IHF NEW REVIEW I 13.12.15 Thc Obsg¡ygr -l Wå,,' ffi r,tu:Ììli ì:l -T 'I made five films ln' anc\Mbefore I had a scene opposite I- I- anotherwoman You'll know the face, Alicia Vikander has been in seven major movies this year, culminating in Golden Globe nominations for her roles in Ex Machina and The Danish Girl, Here she talks of feet, fame and gender BY GUY TÍIDGE PÍIRTRAIT BY PAt HAIISE]I the tables on her male minders. Soon ¡¡sl¡i.pronged screen assault in 2011; 6*mî Í":tllil:*,:1ffå", they'll see her in averydifferent the Swedish ingenue was sufÊciently A saysmatter-of-factly gender inquiry: in Tom Hooper's dazzled by Chastun in The Tlee of ffi midwaythroughour lushly mounted period biopic the Lífe to see it twice in cihemas - a m interview. She doesn't Danish Gírl,she plays painter Gerda year before the Oscar-nominated Wegener, the emotionally conflicted Danish costume dramaÁ RoyalAffaír, *ffi * ï,"r*ö,ii"îËTÏ"" wife of pioneering transgender surgery followed in short order by a film- unnervingly beautiful celebrities eager", recipient Lili Elbe, played by Eddie stealing EnglishJanguage debut as to pointoutthatthey, toq a¡e humans Redmayne. Kitty in Joe Wright's diorama-style with physical insecurities; rather, it's Her roles between those two have Anna Karenína, brought Vikander to expressed as a shrugging statement varied wildly. Playing celebrated first the attention of international viewers. offact. world war diarist Vera Brittain, she Since then, she's been shooting As politely as possiblg I shift anchored the handsome BBC weepie almost constantly; flitting in and out in my chair to glance at the feet in Testament of Youfh with stout-hearted of her north London apartment as if question. "Best" is a strongword, conviction; months later, she was it were a hotel - albeit one where she and I'm no podiatris! but atwors! on frisþ female sidekick duty in has, as'she explains with disarming they're onthe elegantend of normal: cuy Ritchie's well-clothed cold war excitement, fi nally become acquainted petite, pedicured, housed in nude- r omp The M ai from UN C LE. She with her neighbours: "It took me two- coloured heel5 of purposeful height brought a tang of romantic regret to and-a-halfyears of livinghere with just and pointiness. For a 27-year-old the underperforming Bradley Cooper three bags, but it has just about slarted Swedish actor somehow striding into vehicleBurnr, and some Russian- to feel like home."'When we meeq in a mainstream cinema from multiple accented femme fatale attitude to silk-draped Claridge's suite, she's just doors at once, they appear to be the breakneckAussie thriller Sonof a a day of the plane from Washington holding her up just fine. Gun. And ifwe've forgotten she was DC, where she'sbeen immersed irì Paul Yet for aballerin4 Vikander in March's dismal sword-and-sorcery Greengrass and MattDamon's eagerþ explains, they were less than ideal. awaited return to the Jason Bourne Atthe Royal Swedish Ballet School, 'ïhe recognition is action franchise. where she trained in her teens, they Her entry into the realm of such weren't the fleetest or most fluid, and insane.In Swedên, studio tentpoles has added an didn't turn quite as well as some of unfamiliar degree of promotional work the other girls'. Born and raised in just getting afilminto to an already crammed timetable. Also Gothenberg, Vikander had dreamed of a festival was new to her is the glad-handing and a life in tutus since a Christmas outing the red carpet-grazing ofthe frlm awards to The Nutcracker at the age offive; at most you hoped for' season. The Oscars may notbe until 15, she was permitted to move on her late February, butthe four-month own to Stockholm to studyballet Yet bomb Seventh Son, perhaps she has too; marathon of campaign receptions and while playingthe non-dancing all- it never comes up in gur conversation. precursor prize-giving ceremonies mimingunisex role of the Sitch in her Evenwith such misfires, this is alreadywell underway. Vikander academy's production oflei Sytphídes, portfolio more than justifres the admits to being bemused by it all. 'Up it occurred to theyoung dancer that 'Year of Alicia Vikander" headlines until 18 months agq I thought the term maybe actingwas her stronger suit. As currently peppering magazine raCks 'awards season'was a kind ofjokei' the only child ofveteran Swedish stage - her celebrity profile havingbeen she says. "I had never reallyreflected actor Maria Fahl Vikander, that can't further abetted by aclosely guarded that a certain kind of serious film came have come as the greatest surprise. relationship with Michael Fassbender out later in the year. I just thought fall Another decade on, we can thank and her selection by Louis Vuitton seemed like a good time to go to the those fauþfeet for makingVikander as, in their own lofty words, "the new movies. It's colder, after all." the most ubiquitous screen presence muse of the Maison". Lastweek shè We had both attended the British of2o15. Asked ifeven she knows how received abrace of Golden Globel independentfilm awards - one ofthe many of her films have hit screens this nominations for The Danish GírI artd Ex circuit's boozier, jollier shindigs - the year, she lithely ävoids giving a number. Machina.Butshe's quick to point out .ì nightbefore. If I'm feelingworse for "They come out at different times in that saturation wasn't a strategy. (It's a wear, her face betrays neither hangover different places, I don't keep track!" coincidénce, really," she says. "All these nor transatlantic jetlag, though she she laughs. films that I shot at different times over insists that she partied late. "I may not The answer is seven, chronologically three years simply all arrived togçther be a dancer any more, but I do love a bookended by the most prestigious. this year. Rememberwhen Jessica boogie," she says, lightly chair-dancing In January, audiences thrilled to Chastain was suddenly in so m¿my for emphasis. She takes alternating sips ,ì Alex Garland's sleeþ slipperysci-fi films at once? I suppose it's like that I from a Diet Coke arid a barnBbô-titied provocation .Ex M achina, starring hope sq because she's incredible." herbal tea.r 'ì Vikander asAv4 the disarmingly Vikander's breakthrough does sentient feminised robotwho turns indeed recall the American actor's ContlnuÞdonpagefl -> ' i f* ;.. t :[:THE The observer I r¡iz.rs ¡tEtrl BEV¡EW 9 s |N-t="" t( ffi ffi ''+æ ). v - lost her best actress bid for the Danish ofYouth, Gírlto Brooklyn star Saoirse Ronan, but delighted in an unexpected sweep of the nighl's top gonç for Ex Machina. Halfivay through the ceremony she was informed that the influential Los Angeles Film Critics Association had just voted her best supporting actress for Garland's film. "This worldwide spread ofrecognition is insane," she rnùrmurs. "I was brought up in a Bottom:off duty small country. Ifyou made a Swedish with co-star film thatjust got into a film festival Michael somewhere, thatwas like the biggest Fassbender. thingyou could wish for." Allstar, Rex, Getty Further accolades for her roles as Ava and Gerda are likely over the next weeks, and she's equallydeserving of honours for either. She is coolly heart-clutchingin4x Machina as an android studying both physically and psychologically, what it meäns to be a woman; i¡ The Danßh Girl, she's avibrant, sensitive reflector for abiological man goingthrough the same complex learningprocess. Her Oscar campaign has her classified as a supporting actress in the latter, though that rather misrepresents the film. Either Vikander's Gerda or Redmayne's Lili could be viewed as the Danish girl ofthe title, as the narrative dwells less on one spouse's transformation than the evolution of their marriage as a result "It's about them going through a transition, not just himj' says Vikander, who was greatþmoved by Gerda's split impulse between supporting her husband's wish to be his tme self and mourningthe loss of a lover. "In any relationship, when you go through any big change, you struggle to find your new constellation, your new ground. It takes a while to determine what the new relationship between you is. I could relate to that. That got to me immediately." ess obvious to Vikander at the time of filmingwas the thematic dovetailing of ?he D anísh GírI with Ex Machina asL a story of adopted female identity. and fi lm-maker Lisa Langseth, who realised that'earlier. Women talking can carry a successful blockbuster, meetinga friend for cofiee," she says. It was only when she represented the directed her in her dêbuffilm role in together - apþarentþ it is a realityi and that means something. You begin "It's jüst very strange. And it's hard former at Champions of Changg a ,., 2OO9's Pure;they rete-amed four yeats Who knewtAnd while we talkabout to feel their effect. When people in to'say anyttring's tough when you're White House event celebratinglGBT later for.E[otell, a darkly comic group- the lack of female leads in films today, the industry and in the media are getting to make a career out of what media luminarieq that it became clear therapy study that currently marks the male domination is just as strong in acknowledging the issue and talking you love most, but I don-t think that's to her via feedback from transgender actorfs last non-English-speaking role.