So many films have involved relationships between older men and young women, and most of them have either been overly salacious and/or completely vapid.
“Empire of Light” (directed and written by Sam Mendes) flips this concept, focusing on a romance between an older woman and young man, doing so in a very touching way and adding a few twists throughout. The primary backdrop of the film is the Empire Theater, a grand theater that was once a movie palace, but now operates with a skeleton crew, still maintaining a bit of the grandeur it once had.
Love Can Transform Agony to Joy
Hilary Small (Olivia Colman) is the manager of the Empire Theater. She’s middle-aged, single, and wrestling with deep anxiety, partially caused by her boss Donald Ellis (Colin Firth), the owner of the theater, who occasionally forces her to participate in his perversions. When Hilary’s not working, she’s either eating alone in restaurants, lost in a book and a glass of wine, or meeting with her psychiatrist to complain about how the Lithium he prescribed for her always makes her feel numb. When the young and charismatic Stephen (Micheal Ward) begins working at the theater, an attraction between Hilary and Stephen develops which will take their lives in a direction they never imagined.
I was expecting “Empire of Light” to be an exploration of cinema and how film changes lives, and I suppose ultimately that’s one theme of the film, though not the main one. The main theme is how love can transform and renew even the most broken people, and any agony experienced along the way pales to the feeling of joy and belonging that comes with a deep connection.
Michael Ward in “Empire of Light.” (Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures).
Olivia Colman, who’s magnificent in everything, shines throughout the film. She’s fearless, flawless, and edgy. Many times throughout the film, she reminded me of Sandy Dennis, the great actress who played equally edgy characters in films such as “Up the Down Staircase” and “Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” Much like Sandy’s characters, Olivia plays Hilary as a time bomb waiting to go off, persisting onward with a smile, yet you feel any second she might explode with fury at the cold indifferent world.
Another Beautiful Work by Sam Mendes
I loved her relationship with Stephen, who adores her as much as she does him. He’s attracted to her curiosity and jittery manner; she’s attracted to his youthful exuberance and love of life. It felt natural to me, not forced, and the two actors have wonderful chemistry together.
The climax of the film is surprisingly brutal. Since most of the film is subdued, when the brutality happens, it’s shocking, especially when accompanied by the booming percussion of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’s score. The theater’s projectionist Norman (Toby Jones) is a hoot, a matter-of-fact guy who loves his job and has every inch of his projection booth covered in pictures of celebrities from eras gone by. You feel he’d be totally at peace living in the projection booth and never going home.
“Empire of Light” is touching, nostalgic, and life-affirming, another beautiful work by Sam Mendes and a winning performance by Olivia Colman.
Currently, “Empire of Light” is only playing in select theaters. It will move to streaming, but we are unsure of a date at this time.
