Derek Cianfrance’s “The Light Between Oceans” could be the head scratcher of the fall film festival season. The director (“Blue Valentine,” “The Place Beyond The Pines”) is deeply respected in the film world, the cast — including Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz— is top shelf, and the movie is one of the most anticipated films of 2016 based on that alone.
READ MORE: The 20 Most Anticipated Films Of The 2016 Venice Film Festival
But the film’s September 2 release date, which is typically a dumping ground for films studios don’t like or don’t know what to do with, has had many cinephiles worried about its quality. Then again, many said the same thing about Anton Corbijn’s “The American” starring George Clooney, and it turned out to be a solid picture, albeit more of an art film than Focus Features was probably hoping for.
Regardless, there’s lots to hope for with ‘Oceans,’ as it also features a score by venerable composer Alexandre Desplat and beautiful cinematography by up-and-comer DP Adam Arkapaw, who shot “True Detective” season one, Jane Campion’s “Top Of The Lake” and Justin Kurzel‘s “Macbeth”; all pictures that were different shades of gorgeous. And judging by the new images below, much should be the same in ‘Oceans.’ Here’s the official synopsis:
In the years following World War I, Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender), a young veteran still numb from his years in combat, takes a job as lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, a remote island off the coast of Western Australia. As the island’s sole inhabitant, he finds comfort in the monotony of the chores and the solitude of his surroundings. When he meets the daughter of the school’s headmaster, Isabel Graysmark (Alicia Vikander), in the local town of Partageuse on the mainland, Tom is immediately captivated by her beauty, wit and passion, and they are soon married and living on the island. As their love flourishes, he begins to feel again, their happiness marred only by their inability to start a family, so when a rowboat with a dead man and infant girl mysteriously washes ashore, Isabel believes their prayers may have finally been answered. As a man of principle, Tom is torn between reporting the lost child and pleasing the woman he loves, and against his better judgment he agrees to let Isabel raise the child as their own, making a choice with devastating consequences.
“The Light Between Oceans” will have its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival. And before the movie arrives, get a flavor of the drama with the first 2 clips, plus over 40 new photos.
