Empire Of Light

 

Cinema that acts as a panacea to all of the ills in life is a common theme in movie history. 

Cinema Paradiso, Amelie, The Last Picture Show and more recently The Fabelmans all feature characters that are “saved” by the fantasy of film. Indeed it is a common theme that runs through Going Gently where a sometimes sad, middle aged gay pongo retreats to the warm land safe place of his childhood when disasters were all overcome by handsome men in dinner jackets  and spunky ladies in their best frocks.

Empire of Light is Sam Mendes’ homage to the cinematic wonder of his youth. Set in 1980, we enter the world of the Empire cinema on the South East Coast . Although streamlined from its original four screens this beautiful and slightly down heeled  Art Deco building is hanging on in a “ modern “ world and ran by a ragtag group of staff. Headed by a sleazy Manager Mr Ellis ( Colin Firth). We meet the mousy and lonely deputy Hilary ( Olivia Colman),wise cracking and gentle doorman Neil ( Tom Brooke) and grumpy geek projectionist Norman ( an underused Toby Jones). When a twenty something black undergraduate Stephen ( a lovely performance by Michael Ward) joins the staff. The lonely Hilary and he embarks on a friendship and then an affair which is complicated by his youth, her hidden mental illness and the racist overtones of that pivotal time.

Empire of Light is a coming of age movie with twists. Colman is wonderful as always, whether it is in the bravura and very funny scenes where her mental illness finally is unleashed on a pompous charity showing of Chariots Of Fire or in the quiet and painful moments when she is silenced and slightly vacant by her lithium medications and sat on the Promenade in Broadstairs. 

Michael Ward has a gentleness and more importantly an openness of a young man who is just dipping his toe into life and who wants to do so righteously.and Tom Brooke in a brief role is very sympathetic as Hilary’s caring and insightful co worker.

Filmed predominantly and with feeling by Roger Deakins  in Margate’s Dreamland and Broadstairs ( both towns I know well) Empire Of Light has a particular charm and a nice sense of time and place. 

I enjoyed it, even if it was a tad too long and the one scene where Stephen’s Mother ( A dignified Tanya Moodie )reminded him to be “Kind” with Hillary and her illness had me weeping into my sleeve.

Lovely