Review: Empire Of Light

Empire Of Light
Cert: 15 / 115 mins / Dir. Sam Mendes / Trailer

And so to January, where the annual internal-committee decision that there really should be more of an effort with reviewing films walks in largely lockstep with the sort of emotionally laden awards-fodder that wore down a writer's resolve to begin with. But no matter, we are where we are. Following stints showing the routine physical and moral punishment of James Bond and the entire allied forces, Sam Mendes turns his directorial eye to one of our national ruddy treasures in Empire Of Light...

FORTUNES

We meet Hilary (Olivia Colman), a middle aged woman working at a cinema in a small seaside town*¹ in the closing days of 1980. While not exactly dilapidated, quiet business reflects the downturned fortunes of the town in general and society as a whole. When the small team is joined by Stephen (Micheal Ward), an affair is struck up between the two of them which reveals longstanding tensions but ultimately cements their friendship further.

Boasting Colman, Colin Firth and Toby Jones in its ranks, there are few more British™ films around at the moment than this. That said, Empire Of Light is not the twee chocolate-box outing the casting might suggest. All three of these are big hitters in the Drama™ stakes of course, but Mendes also restrains himself from diving headfirst into the angst-pool. Mostly. Fans of genre mainstays the Loaded Silence and Sideways Glance will not be disappointed. Tony Jones is great as ever as projectionist Norman, and Colin Firth ensures full value for money as greasy cinema manager Donald. Colman and Ward are fantastic.

The film's colour palette is a subdued as the lighting, with master cinematographer Roger Deakins indulging the quiet claustrophobia perfectly. This is counterbalanced by the delicate, sweeping score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, almost a character in its own right.

NESS

While it's essentially a portrait of Hilary over about nine months, various external social troubles intersect her already-tested soul. These are handled somewhat bluntly, but we view them from those who are affected the most directly and there's certainly little sense in trying to dial any of this down. In other hands this would have been a film about the racism, the mysoginy or the mental instability, but here they're just pieces of Hilary's larger picture - albeit an unflinching one. Likewise, Norman's occasional interplays about cinema being a magical tool of escapism in turbulent times almost feel pasted in from a different draft of the film where that was the focus. He's always a welcome of presence of course, it just feels like this version of the film shortchanges both the actor and the character somewhat.

The central thread is all executed competently (although would we expect less from this director?), even if some of the turns seem clearly signposted at times. In its most tense scenes, you can almost see Sam Mendes at the side of the set, grinning as he toys with the audience. Fair play to him. Overall, Empire Of Light is less of an A-to-B narrative and more a mood board on the fleeting nature of interpersonal relationships in a chaotic world, and the film is arguably all the more interesting for that. A 'Sunday Evening' type of thing, this is worth watching for the performances alone; perhaps not as philosophical as intended, but always thoughtful and sometimes even beautiful.

Mind you, there's a brief section in Stephen's flat where the television is on showing Wogan-era Blankety Blank featuring Norman Collier and Diana Dors. That episode was originally transmitted on 02 October 1980, and this part of the film takes place well after the New Year's Eve scene at the start, meaning the story is now in 1981. The episode in question was not repeated the following year. Well done, Sam. Film ruined.

And it is for this entirely avoidable reason that I have no choice but to award Empire Of Light the lowest possible score...

There. I said it.

*¹ This was mostly filmed in Margate (Kent), and while the town isn't specifically named as Margate, the script refers to "the South coast" and it's not not named as Margate either. Also, to anyone who's ever been to Margate this is Very Obviously Margate. That said, Empire Of Light also shows its characters getting on a regular passenger-bus that's destined for Hastings (East Sussex), a mere 70 miles away and nestled well into the next county. So who knows? ^{[ BACK ]}

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