M.L. Stedman’s novel comes to life on screen with this harrowing portrayal of life through the lens of a lighthouse and the attendant who cares for it. Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) is a soldier who has returned from World War I and is looking for some solitude from the horrors of war. He decides to take the position of the lighthouse caretaker on Janus Island which is off the coast of Western Australia. He wants to leave behind the nightmares of his life, but after a brief encounter with Isabel Graysmark (Alicia Vikander) he begins to reconsider the life of total isolation. During his time of seclusion and separation from his new found love, through a series of letters, their brief meeting grows into a flourishing romance. After his first term in the lighthouse, Tom decides to propose to Isabel. She accepts and after marrying, they choose to continue their life on Janus Island and their passionate adventure continues. The harsh beauty of the island provides them with their own private Eden, until tragedy encroaches on their paradise. As they travel through life and the trials of failed pregnancies, a unique twist of fate changes their lives forever. A row boat with a dead man and a malnourished, but living baby floats to shore. The decisions by this young couple go on to have far reaching implications within this small Australian community.
Reel Dialogue review - The Light Between Oceans
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