Reasons Why Rachel Weisz is in "The Light Between Oceans"
Thursday, September 8, 2016 at 8:50AM
Mild Spoilers, proceed with caution.
The Light Between Oceans opened this past weekend to OK reviews (including a positive one from Nathaniel). But as I sat watching Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander fall in love, I was waiting for Rachel Weisz. And I kept waiting. She appears very late in the film and even then her character is still secondary to the main narrative. So I tried to imagine why would Weisz take this part. Why would she play second fiddle to an up-and-comer (Vikander wasn’t well known when this was shot almost 2 years ago).
And actually there a few good reasons:
• Shooting in gorgeous New Zealand. Besides the knitwear, the locations are the most breathtakingly beautiful thing in Light. Weisz never actually makes it to the lighthouse, but the quaint town where her character is ensconced has beauty to spare.
• Deepening her relationship with Derek Cianfrance. Apparently an early iteration of Blue Valentine (2010) was supposed to star Weisz and Jeremy Renner. It fell through because of financing woes.
• Sharing scenes with Michael Fassbender. What an actor, what a man. Maybe Weisz was shown pictures of him in period undershirts - his best look in the movie - and that's why she signed on.
Reader Comments (14)
She's very into directors and active in seeking collaborations (for instance with Lanthimos, Sorrentino, etc) so it most likely was a case of her wanting to work with Cianfrance. A shame it couldn't be for a bigger role like Williams's in Blue Valentine.
I can imagine a 1970s version of Blue Valentine starring Gena Rowlands and Dennis Hopper, directed by John Cassavettes. It'd be a masterpiece. The Oscars would've ignored it. We'd give the Academy shit for it till this day.
Blue Valentine is such a perfect two-hander, each performance really supporting and lifting the other, that it's hard to see anyone else in those roles. Having said that, the roles feel like they're within reach of Weisz and Renner's comfort zones, whilst simultaneously giving them an opportunity to show us something different.
Actually Weisz & Vikander have a lot in commun: they both won undeserved Oscar WAY too early in there career & there both with guys WAY too hot for them.
She is doing to many films,sometimes you get tired of the same people esp if the roles are fairly similar in nature.
The role in the book is actually rather large. It's in the third place, but it's kind of close. And that character does most of the "drama" involved. Perhaps the role she signed on for was bigger or better than what was actually created?
stjeans - I think Weisz absolutely deserved her Oscar. She was fantastic in The Constant Gardener... If anything the only parallel with Vikander could be that Weisz's role was almost leading (although it wasn't as obvious a case of category fraud as last year). And Weisz was then and continues to be super hot.
"Actually Weisz & Vikander have a lot in commun: they both won undeserved Oscar WAY too early in there career & there both with guys WAY too hot for them."
I don't think either of those guys are way too hot for them.
I love Rachel Weisz but her choices are puzzling sometimes. Let's just all be glad she signed on for this and not another Fred Clause
It's simple. Weisz took this role because she was not getting other offers. Look at her filmography. She is a C list.
She was obviously seeking to work with the director. She s a talented actress who has an impressive list of performances. She should be praised to the level of a Naomi Watts at least. Her Oscar was deserved if a little early in her career but her only competition that year was the fantastic Maria Bello. And Weisz is a magical beauty so enough with that her man is too hot for her. That s nonsense
Did I really just read that! Holy shit. Alicia and Rachel are stunning beauties. Fuck, either one could almost turn me straight!
I thought Light was pretty ridiculous, but I liked Weisz in it. I actually never saw The Constant Gardener, so I can't weigh in on whether her Oscar was deserved or not. I do think she's quite beautiful, though, and the idea that her man is "way too hot" for her is absurd.
I am so glad we got the cast we did for Blue Valentine. I could see Weisz pulling off the Williams role, but Renner in the Gosling role? No thanks. That role needed some real vulnerability, which I really haven't seen from Renner. Gosling was perfect.
er, Weisz is too hot for Daniel Craig more like! :p