The Light Between Oceans

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: September 2, 2016

6.9	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 107 Ratings

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GreatMartinSep 2, 2016

The lead actors, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are beautiful, not only physically but in their acting ability. The photography of the scenery by Adam Arkapaw, whether it be the New Zealand country or Tasmania or the ocean wavesThe lead actors, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are beautiful, not only physically but in their acting ability. The photography of the scenery by Adam Arkapaw, whether it be the New Zealand country or Tasmania or the ocean waves breaking on shore or the skies above them, are beautiful and in some scenes breathtaking. The music by Alexandre Desplat, never disturbs what is taking place on the screen and only underscores it. The direction by Derek Cianfance, who also wrote the screenplay based on a book by M. L. Stedman's, on the surface says what a tearjerker it is, not to forget so many scenes of actors crying, but he never gets to what should be a major payoff of "The Light Between Oceans".

In many ways this film reminded me of old melodramas starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins or Mary Astor. There is the pregnant woman having two miscarriages, a baby showing up in a rowboat with her dead father at an isolated lighthouse island, the couple decide to keep her, the real mother showing up 5 years later and tears, plenty of tears. Where the directors back then were accused of manipulating the audience and getting them to cry experiencing, in some cases, a catharsis, director/screenwriter Cianfance here only skims the surface of what is happening.

As beautiful as the scenes of the country, water, sun, moon, lighthouse island, the town across the way are, there are too many of each making the movie last 132 minutes resulting in a rushed ending cutting off the emotions of the audience. There are too many voice-overs, too many letters spoken, distracting from the feelings of the actors.

There is much to like about "The Light Between Oceans"--see the first paragraph--but a lot more could have been achieved with a little more effort.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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EpicLadySpongeSep 2, 2016

Just another *yawn* romantic love story. May be watched or missed, but if watched, don't expect 'The Light Between Oceans' to be this surprising and cheerful because in the end, neither of those are seen anywhere from the movie's clichédJust another *yawn* romantic love story. May be watched or missed, but if watched, don't expect 'The Light Between Oceans' to be this surprising and cheerful because in the end, neither of those are seen anywhere from the movie's clichéd ending. (We've seen happy endings a lot, don't expect it to be new) It does seem to be a holding contender for its source material and you know I wasn't expecting much either.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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TVJerrySep 12, 2016

Michael Fassbender plays a troubled WWI vet who becomes a lighthouse keeper on a remote Australian island. His marriage (Alicia Vikander) is idyllic, until a baby washes ashore and they decide to adopt it. Director Derek Cianfrance (TheMichael Fassbender plays a troubled WWI vet who becomes a lighthouse keeper on a remote Australian island. His marriage (Alicia Vikander) is idyllic, until a baby washes ashore and they decide to adopt it. Director Derek Cianfrance (The Place Beyond the Pines, Blue Valentine) likes to make deep, dark films and he's created a cinematic novel in this one: the scenes are slowly paced, there are quiet moments of atmosphere (and lovely oceanscapes) and the story sprawls (133 minutes). While the performances are noble, their complicated conflicts never create much emotional intensity. This attempt at a sweeping, classic romance has plenty of romantic fervor, but falls short of dramatic power.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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skeptic303Oct 18, 2016

The Light Between Oceans, based off of a book, is an unfortunately mixed bag of a movie. On one hand, the acting is very good and when the movie finally gets to its narrative (50 minutes in), it starts to thrive. In addition, I wouldn'tThe Light Between Oceans, based off of a book, is an unfortunately mixed bag of a movie. On one hand, the acting is very good and when the movie finally gets to its narrative (50 minutes in), it starts to thrive. In addition, I wouldn't hesitate to nominate this movie for best cinematography because the shots are so gorgeous that I don't even know where to begin praising it. Maybe I should start with the locations.
However, so much of this movie's substance fails. As previously mentioned, it actually takes 50 minutes before the movie's plot starts kicking in. Everything before then is setup, which only needed to be 10 minutes long. At first, it starts to thrive, but by the end of this 135 minute movie, the movie never seemed to have traveled far. It isn't very deep or thought-provoking, especially because one of the characters needed much more development. Its subject matter needed a better representation, and this movie can only muster up a seal of mediocrity.… Expand

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amheretojudgeSep 1, 2018

a sculpture chiseled for the cast..

The Light Between Oceans The Light Between Oceans is a character driven romantic drama about a couple who is ready to take immoral steps in their lives in order to seek happiness. After a thunderinga sculpture chiseled for the cast..

The Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans is a character driven romantic drama about a couple who is ready to take immoral steps in their lives in order to seek happiness. After a thundering adaptation in "Blue Valentine", Cianfrance had an enormous amount of expectations to fill in, which it fails to do so, despite of making a decent feature. Ticking for more than two hours, such overlong features that too of this genre can milk its way out and offer mere dry emotions to the audience. But packed with finely edited screenplay; except for the first act, the feature is utterly gripping and compelling with layered concept emitting through each character's well thought out perspective. Meddling with such fictitious premise, it leads the feature on such a borderline edge where people's opinion arguably may differ. But this is where Cianfrance; the screenwriter and director, comes in and flaunts his experience of brilliant execution skills. There are moments in here which might be chalky around the edges due to inedible conversations and cheesy manipulative dialogues, but such sequences are confronted well enough by the cast and pulls them off with conviction. The background score is decent along with costume designing but the cinematography steals the show in here with some jaw dropping visuals and live locations which is beautifully shot in here. As mentioned, Fassbender is achingly good and Vikander's complex show-stealing act chills down the spine along with Weisz's surrendered support that binds all of it in and actually helps elevate the feature. Stellar performances, stunning visuals and morally complex and heartbreaking tale are the high points of the feature. The Light Between Oceans is a sculpture chiseled for the cast to flaunt their finesse on screen with a wide range offered to them by the smarter adaptation.… Expand

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