The Light Between Oceans tells the tale of Tom, a World War I veteran who maintains a lighthouse off the coast of Australia with his wife Isabel, the couple longs to have a child but are unable to due to circumstances I won't divulge. One day Isabel stumbles upon a dingy washed ashore and what should be inside but a baby girl. The story that follows involve the complex decisions the couple must make as they continue their life including how to proceed when Tom meets the biological mother.
The Light Between Oceans is a very beautiful film; it's both well-directed and well-acted, and the cinematography and score are visual/auditory splendors. Derek Cianfrance both writes and directs The Light Between Oceans, oddly enough elevating his own screenplay. Cianfrance roots his screenplay in the original source material, M.L. Stedman's novel of the same name, and maintains consistency throughout the film with a slogging, somber turn of events to have fleeting moments of glee sprinkled within, a case for why The Light Between Oceans doesn't warrant repeat viewing. Cianfrance's screenplay lets down the viewer most by not tugging hard enough at the heart strings in it's pivotal moments, I was on the verge of tears but the droplet never materialized. Cianfrance tackles complex themes at surface level but I would have preferred to see him further explore them rather than just acknowledge the issues.
Visually, Cianfrance and cinematographer Adam Arkapaw are able to convey serenity amidst chaos using the Australian and New Zealand coast, a nice parallel to the lighthouse couple's relationship. Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are wonderful in the film as the two expertly portray the lighthouse lovers' chemistry. By no fault of their own, the characters of Tom and Isabel felt like hollow dolls to me because they aren't particularly well developed as well rounded characters in the films' script.
Another enlightening performance was Rachel Weisz's turn as the child's biological mother Hannah Ronnfeldt. Weisz's character brings some intriguing perspective and moral questions to the piece that again weren't covered as extensively as I would have liked but salivated my interests. The Light Between Oceans also features an enchanting score composed by Academy Award winning composer Alexandre Desplat which helps compensate for the film's other shortcomings.
The Light Between Oceans is comparable to a pretty painting, it's great to look at but doesn't really have the necessary depth. The plot was predictable, the pacing was rather slow leading to a melancholy two hour thirteen minute runtime, and it's only thanks to it's strong performances, focused direction, spellbinding cinematography, and a fascinating score that it becomes a sweet story.
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