Empire of Light: Movie Review

Cast: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Toby Jones, Colin Firth
Director: Sam Mendes

A slow film that is beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, Empire of Light's mix of elements don't quite come together perhaps as potently as they should - despite a powerhouse performance of emotion from Olivia Colman.

Colman stars as Hilary, the duty manager of a seaside cinema in 1980s England - living a listless life and struggling to deal with medication drugs. When newcomer to the cinema Stephen (Ward, mainly a cypher but with enough charisma to carry that off) arrives, Hilary strikes up a bond with him, eventually leading to a relationship.

However, as time goes on, Hilary's grip on life begins to falter.

Empire Of Light has moments of beauty and poignancy but at times, they're lost in the muddying mix of disparate social commentary elements that don't gel as they should. Is it a film about mental illness, is it a film about loving the cinema or is it a social picture of racism in south England in the 1980s? It seems Mendes who scripted this can't quite decide, and it shows on screen.

With a slow cinema feel and a disjointed start, the movie ends up settling on more of a character piece between the two leads and ultimately feels like another element of The Fabelmans story but transposed to another time and place.

However, throughout it all, Colman is incredible, her Hilary going from deep joy to soul-crushing lows without a hint of Colman seeming like she's having to flex any major acting muscles. With ease she makes Hilary a sad, pitiable character in one scene, and then in the other an utterly joyous vessel of delight, looking to capitalise on the chance to live in the briefest of moments.

It helps that Ward manages to work through some of the clumsy story metaphors thrust upon him (healing a wounded bird being the worst) and rise above some of the stereotypical writing of the times - he makes an excellent foil to Colman, and as a pairing there's none better in this tale.

Ultimately, Empire of Light is a mixed film, one that waxes and wanes in its own beauty and its own rhythms. Deakins' cinematography is exquisite - from the opening shots of the dark cinema coming to warm life with the yellow lighting glow through to the framing of the characters, every single scene is lovingly transposed and bountifully created.

If anything, Mendes' film feels like a fumble - but with the utter brilliance of both Colman on screen and Deakins behind it, it remains a watchable drama with hints of both what could - and what should - have been.