A lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from a drifting rowing boat.A lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from a drifting rowing boat.A lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from a drifting rowing boat.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 2 wins & 19 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Derek Cianfrance, who directed the poignant Blue Valentine and the riveting The Place Beyond the Pines, brought probably the best out of Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz in quite some time, even if the film pulls at your heart strings a few too many times.
Amidst the beautiful landscaping shots of sunsets, beaches, and oceanic views, Cianfrance crafts the story of a couple who desperately want a child but can't have one, extremely well. As much as this film deals with tragedy, grief, and sorrow there was something so beautiful about the way Cianfrance tells the story. It unfortunately becomes flooded with sadness and difficult circumstances, but I never stopped rooting for these characters. Even when they are at the brink of a bad decision, I wanted the best.
That can be directly contributed to the terrific performances from the cast, and particularly Fassbender, Vikander, and Weisz. Fassbender brings so much power and gravitas to his roles, but I've never seen him so vulnerable. We saw a peek at the emotional weight he can bring to his characters in X-Men: Apocalypse last spring, but nothing can prepare you for his heartbreaking turn in this film.
Vikander and Weisz are just as good. All 3 characters have bad qualities and choices that could turn them into unlikable human beings, but Weisz and Vikander add a graceful human touch to their roles. Though Vikander doesn't have children in real life, I believed she could be a mother someday with her turn. Weisz on the other-hand is a mother, and that motherly instinct exudes onto the screen. Both performances are so mind-bendingly good.
One of the issues that's been brought up about this film is its over-reliance on pulling at your heart strings. It's a valid argument, especially considering all of the tragedy and horrible circumstances that occur. I can't really say it's a film I will revisit, but at the same time, I found Cianfrance's directing and the performances enough to get over the depressing nature of the film's plot. It's not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination, but it's an important one for sure.
+Oscar worthy performances from all 3 leads
+Beautifully shot
+Cianfrance's style
-Manipulative at times
7.7/10
Amidst the beautiful landscaping shots of sunsets, beaches, and oceanic views, Cianfrance crafts the story of a couple who desperately want a child but can't have one, extremely well. As much as this film deals with tragedy, grief, and sorrow there was something so beautiful about the way Cianfrance tells the story. It unfortunately becomes flooded with sadness and difficult circumstances, but I never stopped rooting for these characters. Even when they are at the brink of a bad decision, I wanted the best.
That can be directly contributed to the terrific performances from the cast, and particularly Fassbender, Vikander, and Weisz. Fassbender brings so much power and gravitas to his roles, but I've never seen him so vulnerable. We saw a peek at the emotional weight he can bring to his characters in X-Men: Apocalypse last spring, but nothing can prepare you for his heartbreaking turn in this film.
Vikander and Weisz are just as good. All 3 characters have bad qualities and choices that could turn them into unlikable human beings, but Weisz and Vikander add a graceful human touch to their roles. Though Vikander doesn't have children in real life, I believed she could be a mother someday with her turn. Weisz on the other-hand is a mother, and that motherly instinct exudes onto the screen. Both performances are so mind-bendingly good.
One of the issues that's been brought up about this film is its over-reliance on pulling at your heart strings. It's a valid argument, especially considering all of the tragedy and horrible circumstances that occur. I can't really say it's a film I will revisit, but at the same time, I found Cianfrance's directing and the performances enough to get over the depressing nature of the film's plot. It's not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination, but it's an important one for sure.
+Oscar worthy performances from all 3 leads
+Beautifully shot
+Cianfrance's style
-Manipulative at times
7.7/10
If you are not addicted to entertainment motion picture and you prefer deeper meaning. This movie is in my point of view a must watch. Metascore rated this movie 60 whilst it should be 75 minimum. Watch and if I am wrong please tell me why.
Michael Fassbender just takes emotion to a very realistic place and portrays a man with fear , regrets , love. The decision he makes , as a man , we can relate to it. Alicia Vikander also takes you on a journey that helps you understand what being a parent mean and the sacrifices that comes along with it.
Rachel Weisz plays her role very well and together with the two main actors gives us some very emotional scene. I was touched by this movie and blow away by the acting.
Some beautiful shots are taken and really helps to get in the mood for something different , heartbreaking , questionable . The line between right and wrong can be difficult to see and this movie also decides not to give you what you expect. The narrative of the story is simple and yet very complicated once you try understand the reasons for certain decision. Without really realising you , as an audience you start to ask yourself , what would do , as a women , as a man.
Questions like this scares people unfortunately , but I think we should embrace those movies that challenges you emotionally. It is part of who we are.
Michael Fassbender just takes emotion to a very realistic place and portrays a man with fear , regrets , love. The decision he makes , as a man , we can relate to it. Alicia Vikander also takes you on a journey that helps you understand what being a parent mean and the sacrifices that comes along with it.
Rachel Weisz plays her role very well and together with the two main actors gives us some very emotional scene. I was touched by this movie and blow away by the acting.
Some beautiful shots are taken and really helps to get in the mood for something different , heartbreaking , questionable . The line between right and wrong can be difficult to see and this movie also decides not to give you what you expect. The narrative of the story is simple and yet very complicated once you try understand the reasons for certain decision. Without really realising you , as an audience you start to ask yourself , what would do , as a women , as a man.
Questions like this scares people unfortunately , but I think we should embrace those movies that challenges you emotionally. It is part of who we are.
When I read this on Wikidpedia I was amazed:
Critical Review The Light Between Oceans received mixed reviews from critics. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 59%, based on 133 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Light Between Oceans presents a well-acted and handsomely mounted adaptation of its bestselling source material, but ultimately tugs on the heartstrings too often to be effective."
This is a brilliantly acted film with some stunning scenery filmed in New Zealand. Both Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander put in two very strong performances, along with Rachel Weisz in a supporting role, and the film completely captures the period after the First World War. To me it seemed very much in the mode of 'The Piano' and equally as strong in terms of its dramatic dynamics and conflicts.
I saw this film with my wife who was equally impressed so I think it has an appeal for both a female and male audience. Definitely should be an Oscar contender and both actors deserve a gong for their performances.
Critical Review The Light Between Oceans received mixed reviews from critics. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 59%, based on 133 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Light Between Oceans presents a well-acted and handsomely mounted adaptation of its bestselling source material, but ultimately tugs on the heartstrings too often to be effective."
This is a brilliantly acted film with some stunning scenery filmed in New Zealand. Both Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander put in two very strong performances, along with Rachel Weisz in a supporting role, and the film completely captures the period after the First World War. To me it seemed very much in the mode of 'The Piano' and equally as strong in terms of its dramatic dynamics and conflicts.
I saw this film with my wife who was equally impressed so I think it has an appeal for both a female and male audience. Definitely should be an Oscar contender and both actors deserve a gong for their performances.
This film tells the story of a married couple living in a remote lighthouse, who finds a drifting boat in the sea with a healthy baby and a dead man inside. They raise the baby as their own, but soon moral challenges arise and they find themselves at an important crossroad.
I'm impressed by how beautiful "The Light Between Oceans" is. The scenery is so beautiful that it makes me want to visit that place and feel its serenity. The pain of the couple and their reasons for making such a decision is well portrayed in the film, and I do feel for them for having live with the consequences of their wrongs. The story is really beautiful because it is a story of love, and paradoxically tells that sometimes the right thing to do may not be the right thing to do. It is so hard to determine what is right and what is wrong in this situation, thereby creating a conflict which keeps the film captivating. I'm deeply moved by both Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander's performances. The film haunts me after it finishes, and I'm still affected by it and ruminating about it.
I'm impressed by how beautiful "The Light Between Oceans" is. The scenery is so beautiful that it makes me want to visit that place and feel its serenity. The pain of the couple and their reasons for making such a decision is well portrayed in the film, and I do feel for them for having live with the consequences of their wrongs. The story is really beautiful because it is a story of love, and paradoxically tells that sometimes the right thing to do may not be the right thing to do. It is so hard to determine what is right and what is wrong in this situation, thereby creating a conflict which keeps the film captivating. I'm deeply moved by both Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander's performances. The film haunts me after it finishes, and I'm still affected by it and ruminating about it.
The Light Between Oceans starts Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz. And its the story of a couple living in a lighthouse and in the ocean they find a baby. And that's all I am going to say since the trailer again ruined some important plot points of the film. This movie is very slow but is the kind of movie in which almost everything is on point and it never goes to a route in which derails the movie, I was pleasantly surprised! I loved this film! The cinematography is amazing with a lot of shots of the ocean and the wind, it was truly jaw-dropping. The acting was also great, Michael Fassbender as always gives a brilliant performance. But the actress who surprised me a lot is Alicia Vikander. She is fantastic as this lady who has lost a lot and has a lot of regret. She was truly Oscar-worthy. The story was great as it is not only about the relationship between Tom and Isabel, but it's also about guilt, sadness, loss, etc. The ending floured me, I absolutely loved it. The only issue I have is that Toms and Isabels relationship is a bit rushed and with no real sense of direction, and the beginning is kind-off slow but then it picks it right back up the next 5 minutes. I had a great time with this film and i would recommend it to everybody who wants to experience a heart-breaking story that is actually realistic and authentic.
Did you know
- TriviaMichael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander revealed that director Derek Cianfrance made them live together on set for six weeks.
- GoofsA framed photograph of Frank and Grace is shown on a shelf at approximately 1:08 in the movie. It appears that Frank is holding the baby in his right arm. This is a reversed image as evidenced by the direction his vest is buttoned. The same framed photo is shown twice later in the movie: at 1:35 sitting on what looks to be the same shelf and again at 1:57 being held in Hannah's hands. These show the correct orientation of the image with the child being held in his left arm.
- Quotes
Frank Roennfeldt: You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day, all the time. You have to keep remembering the bad things. It's too much work.
- Alternate versionsIn Singapore, the film was edited in order to obtain a PG classification. The distributor removed an entire sex scene from the film (between Tom and Isabel, in which some sexual movements and brief breast nudity is shown). The film was later passed M18 uncut for it's video release.
- SoundtracksAll Things Bright and Beautiful
Music by William H. Monk (uncredited) and lyrics by Cecil F. Alexander (uncredited)
[Incorrectly credited as 'Traditional']
- How long is The Light Between Oceans?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- La luz entre los océanos
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $12,545,979
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,765,838
- Sep 4, 2016
- Gross worldwide
- $25,975,621
- Runtime
- 2h 13m(133 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content