Since winning an Oscar for his debut feature American Beauty in 2000, Sam Mendes has delivered arguably the best Bond film yet with Skyfall, plus an epic WWII drama hailed as a technical masterpiece (1917).
His latest film, Empire of Light, set during the turbulent early 1980’s delves into the power of human connection and the healing potential of cinema.
Starring Oscar winner Olivia Colman, the film follows her character Hilary, duty manager at a south coast cinema, as she struggles with her mental health.
When she meets new employee Stephen (Michael Ward) a younger man, himself coping with his own issues, namely the daily racism he experiences on the street, the pair form a strong bond.
Finding solace with one another, the couple’s relationship escalates into a secret romance, but the pressure of daily life puts a strain on Hilary’s delicate emotional state. Colman, who has made an astounding transition from TV comedy’s like Peep Show to a bonefide acting heavyweight, is perfectly cast in the role of Hilary, a part Mendes wrote specifically for her, and based on his own mother.
As Hilary desperately try’s to rebuild her life, Colman‘s deft performance makes it clear she’s walking a psychological tight rope, with suppressed rage bubbling beneath the surface of her placid facade. Colin Firth lends support as Donald the manipulative cinema manager, who flaunts his power over Hilary and exploits her condition for his own sleazy ends. Whilst the excellent Toby Jones appears all too fleetingly as dedicated projectionist Norman. Collaborating with people at the top of their field, Mendes film is just as beautifully crafted as his previous efforts. Celebrated cinematographer Roger Deakins captures the inherent sadness of an ageing seaside town, while composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deliver a perfectly tender score. Admittedly there are many themes running through this film, perhaps too many, and not all are fully explored or resolved, but it’s the fascinating relationship between Colman and Ward, recently BAFTA nominated for his exceptional turn as Stephen, that propels the film.
With Empire of light, Mendes manages to capture the chaotic nature of life, where so many competing factors can combine to effect your state of mind.
This is a film about damaged people, but most of all, it’s about people finding escape from the grind of their daily routine in personal connection and in the comfort of a cinema screen. Among the messy unresolved threads, the director’s heartfelt love of Cinema shines through, he understands that for two hours viewers can be swept up in a story and transported away from their troubles.
With Empire of Light, you are able to do just that. Not a perfect film by any stretch, but a beautifully acted, poignant reminder of how the fragile experience of cinema going can be so special.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paul Steward
@grittster
15/01/23