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Empire of Light (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Empire of Light' is a 2022 romantic drama film written and directed by Sam Mendes. The film stars Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, Toby Jones, and Colin Firth.
'Empire of Light' premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 3 September 2022, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on 9 December 2022, and in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2023, by Searchlight Pictures.
The film has received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Colman, Ward and Jones, Mendes' direction, the cinematography and score, but were polarised on the screenplay.
Premise
A love story that takes place in an English coastal cinema during the 1980s.
Cast
* Olivia Colman as Hilary Small
* Micheal Ward as Stephen
* Colin Firth as Mr. Ellis
* Toby Jones as Norman
* Tom Brooke as Neil
* Tanya Moodie as Delia
* Hannah Onslow as Janine
* Crystal Clarke as Ruby
* Monica Dolan as Rosemary Bates
* Sara Stewart as Brenda
* Ron Cook as Mr. Cooper
* Justin Edwards as Jim Booth
Production
It was announced in April 2021 that Sam Mendes had set his next film, which he would write and direct all by himself this time around, at Searchlight Pictures. Olivia Colman was in talks to star in the film and Roger Deakins was announced to serve as cinematographer. Colman would be confirmed in July, with Micheal Ward also joining the cast. In December, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Crystal Clarke and Tanya Moodie were added to the cast.
Filming began on 7 February 2022 in Margate on the Isle of Thanet, Kent. Tom Brooke and Hannah Onslow were confirmed to star in late February. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the film's score.
Release
'Empire of Light' had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on 3 September 2022, followed by a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 2022. The film is set for a limited theatrical release by Searchlight Pictures in the United States on 9 December 2022, and will later be released in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2023.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 56% based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The critics' consensus reads: "'Empire of Light' contains some fine performances and a few flashes of brilliance, but this tribute to the magic of cinema is disappointingly mundane." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 based on 13 reviews.
References
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