The Light Between Oceans | Film Review

Hey Guys x

I said this in a previous post, but one of the main things that I'm doing this summer is watching A LOT of movies. Ones that I never got around to seeing, ones that I saw ages ago, and ones that I've seen and loved.

This was one that I'd wanted to see for ages, but never got around to it. I was saving it for my summer holidays and it was probably the one that I was most excited to watch. And I definitely wasn't disappointed!

This film is about a married couple called Tom and Isabel, who live in isolation in a lighthouse. The one thing missing from their lives is a baby, something that Isabel desperately wants, particularly after losing two of her own. So when a baby happens to wash up on the shore next to their lighthouse, Isabel sees it as a sign - this baby was meant to come to her. However, when the couple accidentally bump into their baby's biological mother, a question of morals come into play. Can they really be parents to a baby that doesn't belong to them?

This is a beautiful film.

Even if you ignore the actual script, the characters and everything else, the lighthouse in and of itself is beautiful. Living in isolation might seem like the worst thing in the world, but if it was somewhere like that lighthouse on the edge of the shore, I'd seriously consider it.

The premise of this film was also beautiful, beautiful and original, which was what made me want to watch the film so much in the first place. I mean, I love superhero movies and traditional romance movies, but every once in a while, something like this makes its way into mainstream cinema and I couldn't be more grateful.

The main couple, played by Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, were done so well! They acted really well and they made the film as amazing as it was! I really believed them as a couple (which could be due to the fact that they're a couple in real life) and that just made me enjoy the film so much more than if I couldn't believe them as a couple.

In terms of the moral dilemma, I was seriously conflicted. I was actually talking to myself as I was watching it, mapping out what I would do if I were ever to find myself in that situation. I pretty much decided that I would keep the baby, but you'll definitely have to watch the film to see why.

One thing that really struck me about the film was how long it felt, in a good way. The film was approximately 2 hrs 12 mins long, but when I got to about an hour and a half in, it felt like the first act of the film could have taken place 10 hours ago, in real time. I felt like so much happened in so little time that it's hard to think about it as an entire piece. But I really enjoyed that aspect, I felt like I was travelling with the characters rather than being left behind and failing to catch up.

I would definitely recommend this film. If you've got a few hours to spare (and you have a long attention span) you should definitely give this film a chance. In the grand scheme of things, it may seem like not a lot happens, but when you're in the moment watching it, so much is happening. There's romance and tension and sadness and loads in between - a must see!

Thank you for reading!

Have you seen this? What did you think of it?

Lou xx