The Light Between Oceans
Starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander
Directed by Derek Cianfrance
Grab the tissues because Derek Cianfrance’s elegant melodrama The Light Between Oceans will tug at the heartstrings, maybe a little too much. Based on the bestselling novel, the story involves a 1920s lighthouse keeper (Fassbender) and his wife (Vikander) who stumble upon an abandoned baby in a boat that washes onto their remote island off the coast of Australia. The couple adopt the infant as their own, a decision that has serious repercussions years later.
The main striking aspect of the film is the look; filmed in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania the location shooting is often stunning. Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines) mounts a majestic, handsome portrait of period passion with exquisite detail and shot composition that is sometimes reminiscent of David Lean’s early epics. The director uses forces of nature like driving wind, pulsing rain, and pounding waves as characters, giving the movie’s first half an eerie gothic feel. Added to the mix are Adam Arkapaw’s visually arresting cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s sweeping score.
As if the aesthetic wasn’t enough, Fassbender and Vikander – who sparked a real romance on set – share palpable chemistry, while Rachel Weisz provides a small but powerful supporting role essential to the film’s moral dilemma.
As the plot unfolds, The Light Between Oceans travels on several narrative tangents with perhaps a few too many twists but is an engrossing throwback with plenty of swoon-worthy visuals and acting, even if the conventional script and an overly-sentimental final scene slightly tarnish the film’s overall lustre.
