EMPIRE OF LIGHT
Everything about The Empire Theater cries, “they don’t make them like they used to.” A place where filmic dreams are literally made, this seaside movie palace is graciously tended to by the front of house staff, led by star employee Hilary, who has returned to the job after a long absence. Desperate to break out of her gloomy routine, Hilary develops a keen interest in a new co-worker, a young Black man who is eager to impress. They find a quiet solace in each other, one that will soon be threatened by the crushing realities of stigmas of the 1980s in Britain. Utilizing a much more traditional tone and aesthetic palette, veteran stage and screen director Sam Mendes creates a touching and triumphant ode to the love of both humanity and cinema. The always brilliant Olivia Colman radiates as Hilary, reminding us that the most tender and relatable tales are just one glowing bulb in the back of a dark auditorium away.
CAST: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, Toby Jones, Colin Firth
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