One good thing about dark theater is that it looks amazing on the big screen. It's another to not see the state of the country. The first of these inspired a great many films. The second, lesser known, could be the subject of the new mixtape of the Sam Mendes film Empire of Light .
In the year The story offers a behind-the-scenes look at a slightly faded painted mansion in a seaside town on the south coast of England, circa 1981. Malteser inventory management plays a key supporting role. So does the back office, where a disgruntled manager dresses as a janitor. Both are played by Colin Firth and Olivia Colman, whose quiet emotions are uniquely conveyed. "You're so helpful ," she whispered nervously. Do you have a sexier last name?
A funnier scene features a chariot of fire theme . But I can deceive you. Despite such sad moments, Empire of Light is not a comedy. It's also another film about cinematic glory, contrary to first impressions. This message emerges from the film's enigma: well acted and well conceived, strangely melancholy, but also beautiful and elegant.
In the center, Coleman's Forty is Hilary Little. Mentioned with a wink to those diagnosed with gender and mental health crises. For Hillary, Empire is just work, movies are irrelevant. Instead, her escape is Stephen (Michael Ward), a young ticket scammer she befriends while tending to an injured pigeon.
Unfortunately, this episode is no joke. Sympathy for the bird based on narrative symbols. Also think about the department. Featured in Steve McQueen's Small Ax film series, here you're asked to play a character so connected to the script that you see a flashing pointer next to his head.
In a film that does other things less well, the problem might not be so obvious. In the year As a Current South Beach Boy in 1981, I can attest to how perfectly Mendes captures his emotions. A host of local celebrities is perfect. (Paul McCartney! Steve Ovett!) Above all, it captures the lost soul vibe of British seaside towns, which appeals to a woman like Hilary. But Stephen, a black man living in a country profoundly devoid of diversity, feels hopeless in one respect: someone else's story.
This distorted mix sticks to Mendes' "love letter to the movies" material. The cinematographer, the Rev. Roger Deakins, gives everything a nice and precise light. Residents of Margate, the filming location, may be amazed at how beautiful their town was when the Oscar-winning director made the film.
Of the characters, Hard Sell falls to the perfectionist Toby Jones. You get a very thin line and a lot of blur for the center letter. Overall, Mendes wasn't spending much time at the current beachside Odeon in the 1980s, he suggests as he looks at the footprints, beaten by a man hiding in a guessing booth. Ah, the movies. Such a play of light forever.
★★★☆☆
In UK cinemas January 9 and now in US cinemas
