Empire of Light

Name: Empire of Light
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: December 9, 2022
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 54
Cast: Colin Firth, Crystal Clarke, Micheal Ward, Monica Dolan, Olivia Colman

2022

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 48 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Ratings

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5.9

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5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Ratings

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Empire Of Light (Teaser Trailer)

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Movie Details & Credits

Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: December 9, 2022 | R

Starring: Colin Firth, Crystal Clarke, Micheal Ward, Monica Dolan, Olivia Colman, Ron Cook, Sara Stewart, Tanya Moodie, Toby Jones, Tom Brooke

Summary: A story about human connection and the magic of cinema set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s.

Director: Sam Mendes

Genre(s): Drama, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 119 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Richard Lawson

Sep 30, 2022

Whatever Mendes’s connection to the material, he’s made something humane and nourishing, a picture of rare thoughtfulness and decency. Read full review

Fionnuala Halligan

Sep 13, 2022

Empire Of Light is a sentimental film – the piano-heavy score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross advertises that from the opening bars – but its message of love, tolerance and finding family wherever you can should make an impact in darkened rooms wherever it plays. Read full review

Aurora Amidon

Dec 8, 2022

By the end of Light, Mendes has taken his message a little too literally. Read full review

Collider Ross Bonaime

Sep 14, 2022

Empire of Light ultimately becomes a confusing mixture of ideas that never congeal into one solid narrative. Yet Mendes’ film does have the tiniest slivers of magic poking through the seams, proving his thesis about the beauty of film, even when he’s too distracted to focus on that idea himself. Read full review

Katie Walsh

Dec 8, 2022

Deakins’ work is beautiful, Colman is incredible, and the role of Stephen proves to be a breakout for Ward. But the story is too scattershot and contrived for an audience to be swept away and moved in the same way that Colman finds herself swept away by the experience of the Peter Sellers classic “Being There.” Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Sep 4, 2022

It’s wonderful that Mendes spent the pandemic making a movie about the irreplaceable vitality of movie theaters — even going so far as to paint them as one of the final strings in what’s left of our social fabric. It would have been even better if he spent the pandemic making a movie worth seeing in one. Read full review

Siddhant Adlakha

Nov 18, 2022

Sam Mendes assembles a creative dream-team for Empire of Light, but ends up with one of the most soulless prestige pictures in years. Read full review

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User Reviews

katezoe

Feb 14, 2023

Sadly beautiful film about life, living and what happens. Another wonderful performance by Olivia Coleman.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TVJerry

Dec 20, 2022

This film takes place almost entirely in a gorgeous Art Deco cinema in a small seaside town in England. Olivia Coleman plays the theater's quiet assistant manager, whose life changes when a young Black man (Michael Ward) comes to work. This is really an opportunity for Coleman to demonstrateThis film takes place almost entirely in a gorgeous Art Deco cinema in a small seaside town in England. Olivia Coleman plays the theater's quiet assistant manager, whose life changes when a young Black man (Michael Ward) comes to work. This is really an opportunity for Coleman to demonstrate her prowess, which she does to great effect. Writer/director Sam Mendes has crafted an intimate examination of her character's mental and emotional issues, while adding a touch of romance, an homage to cinema and a bit of racial stress. Mendes' skills combined with Coleman's performance create a sweet little character study.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

moviemitch96

Dec 10, 2022

A romantic drama set against the backdrop of 1980s England, a woman (Olivia Colman) finds herself caught between an adulterous romance with her married boss (Colin Firth) and a young new employee (Michael Ward) at the theater she works at. The film is also a testament to the lasting powerA romantic drama set against the backdrop of 1980s England, a woman (Olivia Colman) finds herself caught between an adulterous romance with her married boss (Colin Firth) and a young new employee (Michael Ward) at the theater she works at. The film is also a testament to the lasting power and influence of cinema, especially in dark times. Written and directed by Sam Mendes ('1917', 'Skyfall', and many more), although a relatively straightforward film in certain regards, there's also plenty that's remarkable to admire here, from the gorgeous cinematography to the stellar performances from all involved, particularly Colman and even Ward in what should surely be seen as a breakout role for him. Supporting performances from Firth and Toby Jones also breathe great life into the film. It is a tad bit plodding at times storywise, but the film's overall impact and message is hard to ignore or deny. Overall, it's a remarkably crafted film with fine performances, cinematography, and production value all around, even if the story itself left a little to be desired.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

alanpotter17

May 5, 2023

Não sei o que houve com a sutileza do Sam Mendes, o salto dado entre "Beleza americana" e este "império da luz" é impressionante, infelizmente um salto para trás. Olivia Colman de fato é genial, ela tenta dar uma profundidade ao personagem que não existe.
O filme tem como cenário principalNão sei o que houve com a sutileza do Sam Mendes, o salto dado entre "Beleza americana" e este "império da luz" é impressionante, infelizmente um salto para trás. Olivia Colman de fato é genial, ela tenta dar uma profundidade ao personagem que não existe.
O filme tem como cenário principal um cinema, daqueles antigos, de rua. É importante dizer que se passa na década de 1980. Ao centrar-se na gerente com sérios problemas mentais, uma mulher apática, sem vida, mas ao mesmo tempo que busca uma luz, como por exemplo no trabalho (seria daí o tal império da luz associada à projeção da tela?).
Lá nesse pequeno mundo, ela tem seus romances, inclusiva, dois dos quais terão grande peso à obra.
A introdução meio intimista até que é boa, mas daí o filme se perde. Não se sabe mais se a história é sobre o romance interracial, sobre um estudo de personagem, sobre a diferença de idades, e pra completar uma analogia com o cinema que ficou meio deslocada, tal qual no filme Babilônia, mas pelo menos neste emociona.
Do nada skinheads e o tema do racismo entra numa rajada, assim como e esvai. Tudo bem, poderia ser a intenção do filme mesmo tratar diversos temas já que somos seres permeados por múltiplas identidades. Mas precisa mesmo ser narrado dessa forma tão aborrecida?
Achei um exagero a indicação para fotografia. Não que esteja ruim, está competente, mas há trabalhos bem melhores. Se bem que, se for analisar o conjunto, diria que a fotografia e a trilha são bem interessantes mesmo, quando visitam o andar desativado do cinema é um estopim visual, assim como as cenas nas praias e a tomada em que, antes dos skinheads adentrarem o saguão, a câmera põe como centro o personagem negro, uma porta de cinema os separando. Enfim, tem seus momentos, mas acho exagero uma indicação ao Oscar.
Aí a história vai acontecendo, não sabemos exatamente quais tipos de problemas mentais a personagem tem, não sabemos exatamente por onde o seu coração pulsa, é tudo meio jogado, embora tenha um certo capricho na produção e principalmente na atuação, faltou um toque de emoção.
O roteiro vai tentar salvar o filme em alguns momento, quando ela lê poemas, ou quando o cinema em si se torna personagem central. Mas é muito pouco para alguém que já criou verdadeiras obras-primas, como o já citado "Beleza Americana" ou o mais recente "1917". Ainda assim é um filme agradável de assistir, mas completamente menor na carreira do diretor.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Mauro_Lanari

Feb 9, 2023

(Mauro Lanari)
Olivia Colman is the female counterpart of Casey Affleck: if there are them, there must be a drama, more often a false drama. A big melodrama, from which Mendes never separated. He achieved his greater success with works in which political subtext and social overview were(Mauro Lanari)
Olivia Colman is the female counterpart of Casey Affleck: if there are them, there must be a drama, more often a false drama. A big melodrama, from which Mendes never separated. He achieved his greater success with works in which political subtext and social overview were openly current, while in this case he starts from Thatcher, "Quadrophenia" (Roddam '79), the decadence of the British "Empire", unsolved but contextualized problems in a historical period that today is perceived as distant. A reflux of directors towards the autobiography and nostalgic cinephilia is taking place, that is towards the projection room which sheds light in the darkness, art as the last beacon of a civilization at sunset. Conceited? Probably yes, and the protagonists are also badly outlined, abstract, cerebral: Hilary is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, maybe instead it is simple SSDD ("same **** different day") and the remedy suggested by the film is still that of "Being There" (Ashby '79). Anyway her characterization is cloying, Mendes settles for the atmospheric and asks her for sex scenes that she herself believed "unnecessary to advance the plot".… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

jjjjosh

Jan 10, 2023

Not for me. Don't want to watch again. Well made and well acted. Quite slow. Not much happens. Maybe recommend for someone who likes
80s nostalgia
80s Cinemas nostalgia
Cinematography

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

AyoYo

Dec 27, 2022

Was this film some sort of sick joke?! Would be the question I’d ask given that I wasted my time with this insanely underwhelming watch and terrible script. The writing is muddy at times and disconnected. You can see the actors we're working hard here with little arc and incomplete characterWas this film some sort of sick joke?! Would be the question I’d ask given that I wasted my time with this insanely underwhelming watch and terrible script. The writing is muddy at times and disconnected. You can see the actors we're working hard here with little arc and incomplete character journeys (Colin Firth) and the entire supporting cast doing every piece of performance in them giving it 100% to make up for the muddy and disjointed character is one- note all the way until the end). Then, there are the very bad lines - which are forgivable only just.

But even worse than all of this, is it’s right-wing gaze that is embedded in exoticism and a very tired and out of touch approach to exploring love - of the opposite sex, race and age. The sex scenes from the jump are ill-timed, over-sensationalised and weaken the picture. Talk about relying on ‘sex’ to sell a film!! Sam is pushing this in every which way he can in this film using a pathetic cheap attempts at keeping the audience glued whilst literally fooling the viewer with cheap thrills that simply don’t work. Why Sam should sit down: he is out of touch and chasing his old days of American beauty - he makes film from an terribly inauthentic place and needs to get ‘real’ with reality. As does his producer, Pippa Harris.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

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