New Trailer for Sam Mendes' Upcoming Cinema-Set Drama EMPIRE OF LIGHT
Searchlight Pictures has released a new trailer for director Sam Mendes’ (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Skyfall, 1917) upcoming film Empire of Light. The movie is set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, and it tells a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema.
This is a beautifully made film that explores some heavy dramatic themes, one of which is mental illness. It also serves as a love letter to the magic of cinema and how movies can inspire us and help us find connections. I already had the opportunity to see it, and it’s the kind of film that cinephiles will love.
When talking about his inspiration for the film, Mendes said: "For me, that was the late '70s and early '80s: the music, the movies, the pop culture of that period generally formed who I was. It was a period of great political upheaval in the U.K., with a great deal of very incendiary racial politics – but at the same time, an amazing period for music and for culture generally – very creative, very politicized, very energized."
The film has a wonderful cast that includes Olivia Colman, who is going to be nominated for all the Best Actress awards, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, and Crystal Clarke. The music for the film was also created by by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Here’s the synopsis:
The Empire is the kind of movie house you don’t see too often anymore, framed by bright lights and a beautiful marquee, graciously inviting all into its red-velvet seats. Hilary (Olivia Colman) serves at the front of house, opening the theatre every morning and overseeing a brimming concession stand. Meanwhile, her manager (Colin Firth) calls her into his office from time to time for illicit favours. It’s a gloomy routine that Hilary grudgingly repeats, but all her co-workers recognize that she’s been a lot quieter since returning to the job after a long absence. When Stephen (Micheal Ward) arrives as an eager new employee, the two form a quick, if outwardly unlikely, connection. Hilary hides a troubled past, struggling to manage her mental health, while Stephen, a young Black man, grapples with the racism rampant in 1980s Britain. Both wounded by aggressions outside their control, they find an escape and safe harbour in one another — but their relationship, like the Empire cinema itself, cannot last forever, and soon the pair must face the reality of their differing futures.
Searchlight Pictures will release the film in US theaters on December 9th, 2022. Watch the trailer and let us know if you’re looking forward to watching this movie.