The Light Between Oceans (2016)

The first film I watched from director Derek Cianfrance was Blue Valentine, which impressed me very much because it was able to transform a trite domestic drama into a devastating exploration of the factors contributing to the breaking off of a love between a very human and realistic couple. His following film, The Place Beyond the Pines, was also intense in its handling of the characters, but it didn't leave me completely satisfied due to some problems in the screenplay. And now, his most recent film, The Light Between Oceans, also challenges expectations by taking a typical "prestige" movie, and bringing it an emotional deepness which is rarely found in similar films aiming at attracting nominations and critical acclaim; you know... the kind of "period" films (such as The English Patient or Atonement) whose elegant costumes and British accents attempt to make them seem better than they are. The Light Between Oceans has a few cracks in its well structured screenplay, but the experience ended up being quite satisfactory. The story of The Light Between Oceans is superficially simple and not very original; however, the gradual accumulation of complications and moral dilemmas adds an intellectual and almost philosophical aspect which complements the tormented romance of the lonely man who found love late, only to see it in danger when certain circumstances interfere in his happiness. Michael Fassbender brings another one of his full of subtle details performances which almost eliminate the necessity of dialogues; he transmits absolutely everything we need to know about his character with his look and his expressions. As for Alicia Vikander, it was very pleasant to see her in a role which takes advantage of her big talent, after having recently seen her absolutely wasted in Jason Bourne. So, in conclusion, The Light Between Oceans could have polished some details in its screenplay better, but I found it a very competent romantic drama which definitely deserves a recommendation.