Empire of Light (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Empire of Light' (directed by Sam Mendes, of American Beauty, Road to Perdition, 1917) is a heartfelt drama about unexpected romance, England's turbulent time of Thatcherism, & the therapeutic power of movies. Set around Christmas 1980-1981, the titular Empire refers to a grand old British seaside movie palace called 'The Empire'; a once thriving 4-screen entertainment center with a restaurant & ballroom, but now reduced to just 2 screens. Working as a sort of supervisor at the theater, we meet Hilary Small (wonderful Olivia Colman), a quiet soul who mostly keeps to herself. She works with a hardworking-if-misfit staff, including Norman (Toby Jones), the wise projectionist who takes great pride in his job -- capturing light is everything.
Something seems off with Hilary and, we soon find out that she had a recent mental breakdown & was hospitalized for it. Her doctor prescribes lithium, which keeps her balanced, while also making her feel somewhat "numb". She goes to & from work with little deviation. She doesn't even watch movies as a rule. And the only flourish in her life is having to perform sex acts to her sleazy boss (Colin Firth). But fate steps in to Hilary's life when emphatic movie lover Stephen (Micheal Ward) is hired. In showing him the ropes on his 1st day of work, initially standoff-ish Hilary takes him through the secret parts of the theater and, we see them bond over helping an injured bird. Stephen himself is lonely; biding his time before he goes to university, & living home with his mom who works long hours at a hospital.
On New Year's Eve, finding herself increasingly drawn to Stephen's charms, warmth & optimism, Hilary leans in for a kiss as fireworks explode in the sky and, the two of them embark on a low-key romantic relationship. The age difference btwn. them is of no concern to the plot of the film, but rather the fact that it is a biracial coupling in 1980-81 when England was at immense moral unrest due to Margaret Thatcher's reign & the rise of the radical right. As tensions rise & Stephen faces racist attacks, the relationship hits a crossroad; he is, perhaps, too young to be confined to a dead-end town, and despite Hilary fully realizing that he could easily outgrow her, the eventual pause that he puts on their romance sends her into a mental spiral.
I enjoyed 'Empire of Light' as a sit down, turn off your brain, & let the human drama wash over you type of film. Theater offerings these days are mostly 'blockbusters', horror flicks, animated movies, raunchy comedies, pretentious avant garde art house fare, and yet, simple-but-effective human dramas are hard to find. This film won't set your brain or heart ablaze - it has some issues - but on the whole, I relished the expertise performances, Roger Deakins' typically stunning cinematography, the gorgeous art deco set of the Empire Theater, & Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross' lyrical, moody music score.
Magnificent Olivia Colman is able to balance internal grief, jealousy, & even some startling rage ... all with a touch of wry humor & womanly sensuality. Hilary is clearly someone struggling with depression and, though she does some crummy things, Colman lets us sympathize with her in her quiet desperation. The moods that Colman navigates here are just brilliantly nuanced -- she breaks your heart with her innate qualities as a conveyer of authentic human emotions. Micheal Ward's Stephen is nearly as effective as the intuitive, lovely young man whose adorations, attention & companionship saves Hilary. His effervescence mixed with his inherent sadness at living in a time & place rocked by skinhead riots is well-modulated.
'Empire of Light' packs a lot in: racism, workplace abuse, mental illness, the healing power of cinema. It also shows what it's like to work in a vintage theater {the palace premiers Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire in a climactic scene}. The themes don't always connect seamlessly and, some might say the execution is too maudlin. But this film is also about how when everything is wrong in our lives ... a movie can transport us somewhere else & fill us with emotions we didn't even know we were missing. And despite the turmoil in the plot, Empire of Light's ode to cinema & the human spirit offers one of the year's most comforting conclusions. Movies can restore your soul and, sadly, that seemed to mean something more 40 yrs. ago when this film takes place.
Something seems off with Hilary and, we soon find out that she had a recent mental breakdown & was hospitalized for it. Her doctor prescribes lithium, which keeps her balanced, while also making her feel somewhat "numb". She goes to & from work with little deviation. She doesn't even watch movies as a rule. And the only flourish in her life is having to perform sex acts to her sleazy boss (Colin Firth). But fate steps in to Hilary's life when emphatic movie lover Stephen (Micheal Ward) is hired. In showing him the ropes on his 1st day of work, initially standoff-ish Hilary takes him through the secret parts of the theater and, we see them bond over helping an injured bird. Stephen himself is lonely; biding his time before he goes to university, & living home with his mom who works long hours at a hospital.
On New Year's Eve, finding herself increasingly drawn to Stephen's charms, warmth & optimism, Hilary leans in for a kiss as fireworks explode in the sky and, the two of them embark on a low-key romantic relationship. The age difference btwn. them is of no concern to the plot of the film, but rather the fact that it is a biracial coupling in 1980-81 when England was at immense moral unrest due to Margaret Thatcher's reign & the rise of the radical right. As tensions rise & Stephen faces racist attacks, the relationship hits a crossroad; he is, perhaps, too young to be confined to a dead-end town, and despite Hilary fully realizing that he could easily outgrow her, the eventual pause that he puts on their romance sends her into a mental spiral.
I enjoyed 'Empire of Light' as a sit down, turn off your brain, & let the human drama wash over you type of film. Theater offerings these days are mostly 'blockbusters', horror flicks, animated movies, raunchy comedies, pretentious avant garde art house fare, and yet, simple-but-effective human dramas are hard to find. This film won't set your brain or heart ablaze - it has some issues - but on the whole, I relished the expertise performances, Roger Deakins' typically stunning cinematography, the gorgeous art deco set of the Empire Theater, & Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross' lyrical, moody music score.
Magnificent Olivia Colman is able to balance internal grief, jealousy, & even some startling rage ... all with a touch of wry humor & womanly sensuality. Hilary is clearly someone struggling with depression and, though she does some crummy things, Colman lets us sympathize with her in her quiet desperation. The moods that Colman navigates here are just brilliantly nuanced -- she breaks your heart with her innate qualities as a conveyer of authentic human emotions. Micheal Ward's Stephen is nearly as effective as the intuitive, lovely young man whose adorations, attention & companionship saves Hilary. His effervescence mixed with his inherent sadness at living in a time & place rocked by skinhead riots is well-modulated.
'Empire of Light' packs a lot in: racism, workplace abuse, mental illness, the healing power of cinema. It also shows what it's like to work in a vintage theater {the palace premiers Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire in a climactic scene}. The themes don't always connect seamlessly and, some might say the execution is too maudlin. But this film is also about how when everything is wrong in our lives ... a movie can transport us somewhere else & fill us with emotions we didn't even know we were missing. And despite the turmoil in the plot, Empire of Light's ode to cinema & the human spirit offers one of the year's most comforting conclusions. Movies can restore your soul and, sadly, that seemed to mean something more 40 yrs. ago when this film takes place.