The Light Between Oceans, mini movie review

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

The emotions!

All the emotions!!

The Light Between Oceans, based on the book by M. L. Stedman, takes place after the plights of the first World War, those surviving scarred by memories and survival.  Tom Sherbourne, played by Michael Fassbender, is stationed at a lighthouse, a survivor of the war, trapping himself by chosen isolation.  Soon he marries Isabel Graysmark, played by Alicia Vikander, and in their isolation they find joy, peace, and happiness, but all their true trials begin when they wish to start a family and later discover a baby washed ashore in a little boat.

The whole movie is a set of emotional waves, one wave following the next, tragedy, joy, tears, and so forth.  The whole theater was in tears, literally.  I don't think I once heard a sniffle break, all around me in surround sound.  We were all a mess of sorts.  I didn't go into full on cry mode, but the movie affected me just the same, and it continued to affect me even after, honestly leaving me a little cold.  Now that isn't to say that the movie has a bad ending, but its an ending that affects you, and the whole theater was affected.

My family, as habit, always stay to the end of the movie credits out of respect for the film, even if there isn't an end scene.  And we're usually the only ones left in the theater when the light come back on.  I saw The Light Between Oceans with my Mom, and when the theater lights came back on there were people still sitting, starring at the screen.

That's not to say this is a bad movie as there are many elements that make it good.  The acting by Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Rachel Weisz is absolutely superb.  The cinematography beautiful.  And I love the ebb and flow of the movie's pace.  Oh, and the customs and time period.

But this is a movie that reflects more on the cause and effect of real life.  As Americans we kind of expect everything in movies to end all happy and joyous, tied up in a pretty little bow.  Well, I at times really enjoy a good happy ending.  But real life isn't like that.  

I'm not quite sure if I'm happy having seen The Light Between Oceans.  I can see some people really enjoying it, perhaps, but I don't care for the melancholy feeling that stayed with me.

Go if you're in the mood for a sob-fest.

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for thematic material and some sexual content.