The Light Between Oceans

Derek Cianfrance, who directed the poignant Blue Valentine and the riveting The Place Beyond the Pines, brought probably the best out of Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz in quite some time, even if the film pulls at your heart strings a few too many times.

Amidst the beautiful landscaping shots of sunsets, beaches, and oceanic views, Cianfrance crafts the story of a couple who desperately want a child but can't have one, extremely well. As much as this film deals with tragedy, grief, and sorrow there was something so beautiful about the way Cianfrance tells the story. It unfortunately becomes flooded with sadness and difficult circumstances, but I never stopped rooting for these characters. Even when they are at the brink of a bad decision, I wanted the best.

That can be directly contributed to the terrific performances from the cast, and particularly Fassbender, Vikander, and Weisz. Fassbender brings so much power and gravitas to his roles, but I've never seen him so vulnerable. We saw a peek at the emotional weight he can bring to his characters in X-Men: Apocalypse last spring, but nothing can prepare you for his heartbreaking turn in this film.

Vikander and Weisz are just as good. All 3 characters have bad qualities and choices that could turn them into unlikable human beings, but Weisz and Vikander add a graceful human touch to their roles. Though Vikander doesn't have children in real life, I believed she could be a mother someday with her turn. Weisz on the other-hand is a mother, and that motherly instinct exudes onto the screen. Both performances are so mind-bendingly good.

One of the issues that's been brought up about this film is its over-reliance on pulling at your heart strings. It's a valid argument, especially considering all of the tragedy and horrible circumstances that occur. I can't really say it's a film I will revisit, but at the same time, I found Cianfrance's directing and the performances enough to get over the depressing nature of the film's plot. It's not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination, but it's an important one for sure.

+Oscar worthy performances from all 3 leads

+Beautifully shot

+Cianfrance's style

-Manipulative at times

7.7/10

The Light Between Oceans starts Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz. And its the story of a couple living in a lighthouse and in the ocean they find a baby. And that's all I am going to say since the trailer again ruined some important plot points of the film. This movie is very slow but is the kind of movie in which almost everything is on point and it never goes to a route in which derails the movie, I was pleasantly surprised! I loved this film! The cinematography is amazing with a lot of shots of the ocean and the wind, it was truly jaw-dropping. The acting was also great, Michael Fassbender as always gives a brilliant performance. But the actress who surprised me a lot is Alicia Vikander. She is fantastic as this lady who has lost a lot and has a lot of regret. She was truly Oscar-worthy. The story was great as it is not only about the relationship between Tom and Isabel, but it's also about guilt, sadness, loss, etc. The ending floured me, I absolutely loved it. The only issue I have is that Toms and Isabels relationship is a bit rushed and with no real sense of direction, and the beginning is kind-off slow but then it picks it right back up the next 5 minutes. I had a great time with this film and i would recommend it to everybody who wants to experience a heart-breaking story that is actually realistic and authentic.

After I read the novel, I hoped not be adaptated as film. For its touching beauty , on screed becoming only chain of impressive images but without reflect, in fair way, the emotions, powerful ones , proposed by book.

Ironically, exactly this adaptation was the kick to read The Light Between Oceans. Its virtues - off course, the images. But , maybe, more important , admirable performance of Rachel Weisz.

It is fair to write about this film the perfect adaptation , because not easy to imagine more. The work of. M. L. Stedman has the gift a dialogue, a very special one, with the viewer. The film can only offers the skin of this conversation. Beautiful locations, admirable acting, resurrected emotions, correct crafted episodes , the end. A sort of remind or hommage. So, with a strange word, the happy version of a profound impressive novel. The gratitude to director and actors as first duty.

In December 1918, the traumatized military Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) is temporarily hired as lightkeeper to work alone for six months at a lighthouse at Janus Rock, Australia. He meets the joyful local girl Isabel Graysmark (Alicia Vikander) and they fall in love with each other. Soon they marry each other and Isabel moves to Janus Rock with Tom. Along the next years, Isabel has two miscarriages and while traumatized with her second loss, Tom rescues a rowboat on the shore with a dead man and a baby girl. When he is ready to report the incident, Isabel persuades Tom to keep the baby as if she were their child. The reluctant Tom has difficulties to agree, but keep the baby named Lisa. In Lisa´s baptism, Tom sees the local Hannah Roennfeldt (Rachel Weisz) praying at a grave and he learns that she is the real mother of Lisa. He writes an anonymous note to Hannah telling that her missing daughter is safe and sound. When Tom meets Hannah again four years late, he takes an attitude that will change the lives of many persons.

"The Light Between Oceans" is a beautiful film with a heartbreaking story and magnificent performances. It is easy to understand why Tom has difficulties to live a lie based on his rigid military principles but it is difficult to understand why the revelation four years after meeting Lisa´s real mother since he should be aware that his attitude would affect the lives of many people mainly Lisa and his wife. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Luz Entre Oceanos" ("The Light Between Oceans")

This film tells the story of a married couple living in a remote lighthouse, who finds a drifting boat in the sea with a healthy baby and a dead man inside. They raise the baby as their own, but soon moral challenges arise and they find themselves at an important crossroad.

I'm impressed by how beautiful "The Light Between Oceans" is. The scenery is so beautiful that it makes me want to visit that place and feel its serenity. The pain of the couple and their reasons for making such a decision is well portrayed in the film, and I do feel for them for having live with the consequences of their wrongs. The story is really beautiful because it is a story of love, and paradoxically tells that sometimes the right thing to do may not be the right thing to do. It is so hard to determine what is right and what is wrong in this situation, thereby creating a conflict which keeps the film captivating. I'm deeply moved by both Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander's performances. The film haunts me after it finishes, and I'm still affected by it and ruminating about it.