The Light Between Oceans

Hello all! It feels good to come back from a brief hiatus, even though I did enjoy not forcing myself to see a film last weekend. Rest assured I got some *hopefully* great content coming to you in September, so let's break open this first weekend shall we?

I was very intent on seeing Morgan this weekend. Not exactly excited, but I had it picked as the one I'd go see and review. My initial hypothesis was that it looked like a Stranger Things/Ex Machina mix that wasn't nearly as good as either of them. Based on some of the low buzz and so-so reviews it seems like I didn't miss much. 

So what made me change my mind? The Place Beyond the Pines did. That's right...a film from April 2013 led me to see this one. It was a film that had stuck with me throughout that entire year and by the time the Rath Awards rolled around for that year, Pines had found a spot comfortably within my Top 10. The Light Between Oceans hadn't done too much to set my movie radar on fire, other than the real life romance to emerge from it, but the moment that I put two and two together -- that the writer/director was Derek Cianfrance -- I switched up my plans. After how much Pines grew on me, I was eager to see if this would as well.

My initial guess is: likely not. The Light Between Oceans isn't quite as deep or thought provoking as Pines was, but that shouldn't discount what is still a very impressive film. It has aspects of it that are some of the best that we've seen thus far in 2016 (i.e. performances) but also struggles to maintain interest/momentum over the course of its excessively long 132 minute run time. 

Quite a serious scene despite the fact it looks like
Vikander is about to crack up laughing...

Well aren't they just perfect! *sobs to self*

I could tell you a plot synopsis, but you all probably know by now that I dislike doing that. I'm reviewing the film, not giving a book report on it. The trailer reveals much of the plot, almost to the detriment of the film itself, but suffice it to say that its very heavy stuff. If you're expecting a "feel-good" romance film, you may want to look elsewhere. Other than the ending, which is still somewhat predictable in hindsight, the film plays out about how you'd expect. For a romantic drama like this that's not entirely unexpected so it didn't bother me much. What bothered me was how long it was. I was enjoying myself, yes, but the movie wanted to play out like an epic...a Titanic or something else of the like...and it reveled in its scenery and gave us more than enough screen time of interactions between Fassbender and Vikander to make us believe they actually fell for each other in real life. I could have done with a little less and the film could have as well; there were plenty of areas that could have been trimmed down and been just as meaningful/beautiful. 

And the film is undoubtedly beautiful, and that's not just in reference to my future wife, Alicia Vikander (though she's stunning as absolutely always too). Oceans features some breathtaking cinematography that's some of the best of the year. It's frames of view are always well thought out and unique, much like Pines' was, but there are some grand shots of the island in which the lighthouse resides as well as the ocean itself, and several sunrises/sunsets. Much like the performers in it, the scenery in Oceans is also great to look at. Speaking of our stars, Fassbender and Vikander give some amazing performances here. Able to basically cry on cue must have been a req for the film's male and female roles, but aside from the abundance of waterworks, they have real chemistry (obviously). Together as a couple they depict joy, fear, timidness, deep pain, and depression in expert fashion and it's clear that, as they're acting, they feed off each other well. Picking them as leads was a wise move as they really hold the film up and, given their talent, add some gravitas to the overall feel. Everyone else, including Rachel Weisz (who's a very distant supporting role here), is good too. 

No doubt they fell for each other filming on a location like this one...

The Light Between Oceans is a fine film as we creep toward Oscar season. I think it has a few too many things holding it back from really blowing anyone out of the water, but if you're in the mood for a heavy romantic drama, it's quite good thanks mainly to its performances and gorgeous imagery. 

CONS:

• Excessive in its length. Many scenes or attempts at showing the maturing relationship could have used a more deft hand in the editing room
• Many plot points/turns are predictable
• So many tears all the time!
• Forgettable original score

PROS:

• Breathtaking cinematography of the film location and ocean. All other scenes of dialogue or what have you also have a thoughtful touch behind the lens
• Compelling story that paints a complicated picture where "right" and "wrong" aren't so black and white
• Well suited conclusion
• Strong performances from Fassbender and Vikander who lead the film with equal strength. The chemistry is obviously there, but they also turn in deep characters
• Good capturing of the time period
• Solid script

Rath's Review Score: 7.5/10