Empire of Light

Maybe this movie is not the best tribute to all those who have worked in similar cinemas in the past, like the Empire cinema here, but I liked it. Sam Mendes directed a chamber drama here, which doesn't really know what it wants to be and therefore it's a bit of everything, but its melancholic mood managed to captivate me. At times a real reference to how cinemas in England worked in the 80s, at times a psychological drama, a bit of romance here and there, and then a little tension considering the time when the story takes place. True, a bit of everything, but that's sometimes what life is. It has this unique charm and a role like Toby Jones's is absolutely fantastic. (26/04/2023)

Sam Mendes poetic, fragile and intimate. Empire of Light is a slow-moving film that explores the travails of personal life through Roger Deakins' haunting imagery and the minimalist setting of a single coastal street with an opulent cinema. Depression, loneliness, illness, racial issues, several strong themes are outlined in this slow-moving story of a handful of people sharing their troubles in a small British town. But the whole thing strikes me as perhaps too artsy, too static and lacking in energy. Olivia Colman gives a brilliant performance, but you can't find your way to most of the characters. (10/12/2023)