Short response: I liked it. It was beautifully shot, and it felt very...honest, if a little earnest.
Long answer: I think its strengths rested on the technical details and the script, in all honesty. The camerawork was scrumptious, and the script never descended to overwrought emotions. I didn't realize until after the fact that it was an adaptation of a true story, so I'll have to get the book now to read it.
As for the performances...I can't say I'm a big Alicia Vikander fan, though I recognize that she helped to seriously sell the honesty of the emotions since it's centered on her. I also am not sure I understand what the hullabaloo is about Kit Harrington. Cute, I suppose, but his performance left me a little cold, with the exception of the scene at the cliffs when he was home for three days and exploded at Vera. Then again, I don't watch Game of Thrones, either, so I wonder if part of his appeal stems from that for people. Colin was earnest and sweet, but I like him better when he's hard or edgy, ala "The Fall" or "Humans."
