Sam Mendes‘ love letter to cinema arrives at a time when the threat to small and independent picture houses like the Empire, shown here, is very real. With places like the Belmont in Aberdeen, the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, and the Lighthouse in Wolverhampton closing recently, Empire Of Light reminds us of the magic and escape on offer when light hits celluloid – it’s just a shame that this light is dimmed by an unfocused screenplay.
Hilary (Olivia Colman) is struggling with depression and can’t seem to find an escape, even within the silver screen where she works. Instead, she toils away in a job she finds no joy in and makes self-destructive decisions, like an ill-advised and loveless affair with her boss. When Stephen (Micheal Ward) joins the team as an usher, however, she finds in him a lightness that cuts through the darkness in her life.
Colman is magnificent, as always; whilst it is an unlikely relationship, she and Ward share a warm and believable chemistry. One scene in particular where Stephen is confronted with the full extent of Hilary’s mental illness is one that could easily grab her yet another Academy Award or BAFTA nomination. Elsewhere, the cast features British acting royalty in Toby Jones as the projectionist and Colin Firth as the cinema manager (complete with the most unexpectedly shocking character introduction of the year). However, their screen time is limited and their characters are prone to disappearing for extended stretches.
This is an issue that stems from the film’s screenplay, the first which Mendes has authored solo. Empire of Light aims to tackle so many different topics that it fails to identify what it wants to be. Is it a film about cinema itself? Is it a look at a woman’s struggle with mental health? A intergenerational and interracial romance? An examination of racism in ’80s Britain? Each subplot is given ten minutes of screen time before either being entirely forgotten or reintroduced with the finesse of a skinhead breaking a window. Because of that, the impact of each element is thoroughly dulled and the whole is unfocused.
Empire of Light works best when it showcases the wonder of the silver screen, all of it captured through a rose-tinted lens thanks to Roger Deakins. One will come away wishing for a return to the golden age of cinema, or at least back to when a ticket cost £1.50 and a packet of Maltesers was a mere 14 pence!
Empire Of Light is in UK cinemas from January 9th.