Michael Fassbender plays a troubled WWI vet who becomes a lighthouse keeper on a remote Australian island. His marriage (Alicia Vikander) is idyllic, until a baby washes ashore and they decide to adopt it. Director Derek Cianfrance (The Place Beyond the Pines, Blue Valentine) likes to make deep, dark films and he’s created a cinematic novel in this one: the scenes are slowly paced, there are quiet moments of atmosphere (and lovely oceanscapes) and the story sprawls (133 minutes). While the performances are noble, their complicated conflicts never create much emotional intensity. This attempt at a sweeping, classic romance has plenty of romantic fervor, but falls short of dramatic power.
(2 / 5)