Review of The Light Between Oceans (2016) by David R — 23 Feb 2017

The Light Between Oceans is a romantic drama that delivers an outstanding performance from Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Rachel Weisz. All while delivering a sympathetic story about love and guilt and really tries to pull all these strings to get an emotional reaction out of you.

The plot follows Tom (Michael Fassbender), after being haunted by his past in World War I. He moves to a lighthouse, where he can try to find peace within himself. He falls in love with a local girl Isabel (Alicia Vikander). She moves with him in an isolated island in a lighthouse. She gets pregnant and hoping to start a family. And she miscarries. Leaving them devastated. Until, a boat arrives to shore with a baby in it. They both raise the baby as their own, hiding the truth from the town folks about their miscarriage. And the baby that was drifting on a boat. Only until Tom discovers that Hannah (Rachel Weisz) lost her husband and her baby girl out in the sea when their ship supposedly was ship wrecked.

Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander were great with their performances. Every time, they were on screen, it was hard to take eyes off the screen. They both are very talented and their work shows. Fassbender playing a war veteran, who is still traumatized from his war experiences. Faces the conflict of living a lie and hiding the truth. Vikander is so stunning, she is gorgeous and her performance is great playing a character that is lost and depressed after the incident.

Director Derek Cianfrance tried to build a romantic story about two characters falling in love and an incident strikes them both. Only to be given another chance, when a baby shows up that fixes the missing link with what they both were wanting. The consequences of hiding the truth for there own good. It all comes down to if they rather live a lie. Or face the exposed truth that can break them apart. Cianfrance does well in making this drama unsettling, even as two lovable characters are facing the conflict of losing their happiness.

The film does have some beautiful cinematography camera work in capturing the landscapes of the island and the ocean view. Also, capturing these two characters building a lifestyle of living alone on the lighthouse island.

The one thing I did not like about The Light Between Oceans is the slow moving pace. It does have a strong drama conflict that can make the audience feel unsettled and messing with the emotions as it pulls the heart strings seeing these characters fall apart. The first two act of the film is very slow moving. Slowly building up with Tom arriving in town and meeting the town folks. Meeting Isabel and the picnic date that they began falling for each other. To writing messages to each other talking about their future.

Otherwise, The Light Between Oceans is a good drama period that pulls the emotional strings with these characters, delivering amazing performances, and capturing some beautiful settings.