Empire of Light

“Olivia Colman shines in Sam Mendes’ darkening hymn to cinema.” ⋆⋆⋆⋆ The Guardian

Academy Award-winning Sam Mendes (American Beauty, 1917) directs this poignant, feel-good tale about the magic of the movies.

Hilary (Olivia Colman) is the manager at the fictional Empire cinema in 1980s Margate, Kent. Struggling with her mental health and overall self-esteem, she is enticed into an affair with her married boss (Colin Firth), a temporary antidote for her perpetual loneliness.

When Stephen (Top Boy’s Michael Ward) arrives in town in hopes of fleeing the racial attacks he is subjected to by taunting skinheads, he strikes an unlikely romance with Hilary as the pair revel in the joyous nature of cinema.

Richly melodramatic, Empire of Light has all the prestige and timeless nostalgia to satisfy viewers in search of a well-acted, stunning romance film with God-tier cinematography from Richard Deakins that encapsulates the beauty of love, art and cinema.

Cast includes Olivia Colman, Michael Ward, Colin Firth

Directed by Sam Mendes

Cert 15

Parent & Baby Screening Wednesday 1 February, 11am