Empire of Light
2022
***
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Monica Dolan, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, Toby Jones, Colin Firth
This nostalgic drama centres around the fictional Empire Cinema on the Margate seafront in the beginning of the 1980s. Hilary is a lonely bi-polar 40-something, who is in a loveless sex affair with her boss. She finds a genuine connection in Stephen, a young black man who joins the staff. The film is beautifully shot by Roger Deakins and wonderfully acted by Colman and Ward, in particular. However, the first-time solo screenwriter Sam Mendes doesn't do as well. The mismatched couple lacks credibility and chemistry, and Mendes' attempts to deal with racism are extremely heavy-handed. It's all meant as a love letter to the magic of movies, but sadly this is no match to Cinema Paradiso.
