Written and directed by Sam Mendes, whose previous credits include 2019’s successful war movie 1917, Empire Of Light is a romantic film set in the English coastal town of Margate circa the early 1980s. Picturesque as it may be, here the mise-en-scène conveys the extent of poverty among such working-class communities of this era.
Hilary (Olivia Coleman) is a middle-aged cinema employee wrestling with mental health issues and a clandestine affair with Donald (Colin Firth), the cinema’s married owner. Stephen – played by Micheal Ward from Netflix drama series Top Boy – enters the picture as the venue’s new employee; Hilary is tasked to show him the ropes. As Hilary offers Stephen life and career advice in good faith, this working relationship blossoms into a friendship, then a relationship – the pair making for an unlikely couple, and an interracial one, notably for the period. Things come to a head during a premiere screening of Chariots Of Fire at the cinema: protesters, led by National Front skinheads, enter the theatre and attack Stephen.
This powerful and poignant film’s arthouse feel is contextualised by its Thatcherite 80s backdrop: a time when racism was sadly overt in all walks of British life, being visible as a person of colour was difficult for many, and race riots were common. It is hard not to feel compassion for both Hilary and Stephen; through their heartfelt moments, we view the couple as ahead of their times, displaying kindness, compassion, empathy, and love.
Mendes’ film showcases complex themes in a bold, sophisticated and realistic way. Empire Of Light is a humane film which, in its refusal to shy away from racism or brutality (it should be noted that there are upsetting scenes of physical violence and abusive language), leaves much room for contemplation and hope for the future – by illuminating a recent past to which ones hopes we shall never return.
Dir: Sam Mendes (15, 119 mins)
Empire Of Light is released on Mon 9 Jan
words ADAM MO ALI
Want more film?
Get reviews, previews, interviews, features and more, from Wales and beyond.