Saturday night I went to see the movie The Light Between Oceans. My book club read the bestselling novel by M.L. Stedman several years ago so I have been eagerly anticipating the movie adaptation and it did not disappoint. Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender), traumatized by the events of World War I, takes a position as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island off the coast of Western Australia. On a trip to the mainland, he meets the fiery Isabel (Alicia Vikander) and their courtship and marriage slowly brings Tom back to life. After a series of miscarriages, Isabel begins to lose her vitality and Tom despairs because he doesn't know what to do to help her. Then a boat containing a dead man and a baby washes up on shore. Isabel begins to care for the baby and, when Tom explains that he will have to report the discovery, she begs him not to so they can raise the baby themselves. Tom is torn between his duty as a lighthouse keeper and his love for Isabel but he ultimately decides to keep silent. Years later, on a visit to the mainland, Tom encounters a woman (Rachel Weisz) who lost her husband and baby daughter at sea. He is tormented by this woman, knowing that his daughter belongs to her. He breaks his vow to Isabel and reveals the truth with devastating consequences for all involved. The action develops very slowly so this movie might not appeal to everyone but I found it to be incredibly beautiful and atmospheric. The scenery is breathtaking (it was filmed in Australia and New Zealand) and Alexandre Desplat's score is lush and evocative. Both Fassbender and Vikander give highly nuanced performances and their chemistry is undeniable (they became a real-life couple after filming this movie). My only complaint is that, while all of the secondary characters have Australian accents (the film is set in Australia), Fassbender, Vikander (who is Swedish), and Weisz have very British accents. It became a bit distracting after a while. However, I highly recommend this movie to fans of the book!
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