Capsule reviews for Nov. 25

The Danish Girl

This well acted but muddled biopic from director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) chronicles transgender pioneer Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne), an artist in 1920s Copenhagen whose wife (Alicia Vikander) earns praise for her paintings of him in women’s clothing. But Einar eventually starts to take on effeminate characteristics and identify as a woman, which causes friction in their relationship, subjects him to public ridicule, and leads to his seeking an experimental sex-change surgery. Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) generates sympathy with an audacious performance, yet the film — deliberately paced if visually striking — safely keeps an emotional distance with regard to its provocative subject matter. (Rated R, 120 minutes).

Hot Sugar’s Cold World

This rambling documentary chooses to follow an underground New York musician known as Hot Sugar, who isn’t very appealing for his craftsmanship, and even less so for his personal life. His music consists of combining random recorded sounds, typically collaborating with hip-hop artists on the lyrics. The approach of director Adam Bhala Lough (Bomb the System) provides some moderate insight into the artistic process and the evolution of music in the social-media age. But the film spends far too much time on Hot Sugar’s break-up with his rapper girlfriend, which leads to a Parisian odyssey filled with oddball encounters. The result doesn’t inspire sympathy or appreciation. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

Janis: Little Girl Blue

The approach might be straightforward, but the freewheeling spirit matches its subject in this documentary about Janis Joplin, who rose to stardom with her ferocious bluesy-pop voice in the late 1960s before her death of a drug overdose at the height of her career. Through an impressive collection of interviews and archival footage, and using Joplin’s diaries as a starting point, director Amy Berg (West of Memphis) chronicles Joplin’s life beyond the stage, such as her musical influences, her championing of political causes, and her personal insecurities that contributed to her heroin habit. Plus, the film has the good sense to include plenty of her songs. (Not rated, 103 minutes).