Review: Empire Of Light

Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

Sam Mendes makes a return to indie filmmaking with "Empire of Light," a British character study set in Margate, Kent that primarily takes place at a seaside movie theater in the early 1980s. Similar to other films of recent years, the picture could likely fit into the quasi-memoir category that other prominent directors have dabbled in recently, although this one could possibly be more about capturing the feel of an era, rather than anything that particularly happened to the person who directed it, although I've read that the film's lead character is based somewhat on the director's mother.

"Empire of Light" could also fit into that subgenre of films that celebrate "the magic of the movies" that we see a few times a year, although there's only a little of that late in the film when the theater's manager, Hilary (Olivia Colman in a very good performance), decides to finally give herself a private screening in the theater that she primarily only views as her place of work.

In the film, Hilary is the second in charge at the theater and is having what I suppose could be described as a fling with the caddish owner, Mr. Ellis (Colin Firth). We don't learn much about what is bothering Hilary until late in the film, but it's clear that something is from the fact that she is seeing a psychiatrist, who questions her about the effect of medication he has prescribed for her, and during an early scene in which she slides down into her bathtub in what appears to be a brief suicide fantasy.

But the hiring of a cheerful young Black man named Stephen (Michael Ward) seemingly perks her up after the two become friends and she is surprised at his nursing skills after they find a wounded pigeon in the theater's abandoned third floor and he shows her how to nurse it back to health. Stephen's mother is a nurse at a local hospital, and he has dreams of attending school to study architecture.

There's some upheaval in England at the time the film takes place. Margaret Thatcher is prime minister and that era's skinhead movement always appears to be lurking in the background. At one point, Hilary witnesses Stephen being pushed around by a group of young racists as he walks home from work. The racism he faces is coupled with the misogyny that Hilary encounters from Mr. Ellis - and there's also a hint of some sort of past trauma during the numerous scenes in which Hilary makes mention of men trying to control her.

For a movie that's often quite sad - and a little heavy - there are some lovely and gorgeously shot scenes here. A trip to the beach - before it takes a bleak turn - for Hilary and Stephen is among them as well as a beautiful sequence in which the two of them watch New Year's Eve fireworks from the Empire theater's rooftop. 

There's also a nice subplot about Stephen's burgeoning interest in learning how to run the projector at the theater and his tutelage by a projectionist played by Toby Jones - in a strong supporting performance - who likes having someone around who he can teach his trade. And the aforementioned scene late in the film in which Hilary breaks down and decides to watch a movie at the theater - with an assist from Jones' projectionist - is not only enchanting from a visual standpoint, but the choice of film is also likely to put a smile on some faces.

For the past few years, Colman has been among the best working actresses. She brings depth to every role she inhabits - and that's no exception here - and Ward impressively holds his own with her scene after scene. The supporting roles are all memorable as well and Roger Deakins' cinematography is, not surprisingly - considering his overall body of work - often beautiful to behold.

If "Empire of Light" occasionally bites off a little more than it can chew - there are a number of subplots, some of which are only briefly touched upon - it is more than compensated for by the film's gorgeous lighting and photography, the solid performances and the fact that the film's two leads and their stories balance each other - in other words, Stephen doesn't merely exist here to boost Hilary's spirits and has desires and challenges of his own. 

This is a much smaller film for Mendes - who often works with larger canvasses, such as his James Bond films or "1917" - but it's proof that he can still tell a smaller, simpler story that relies on performances and storytelling, rather than set pieces. As such, it's a welcome return.