Academy Award Nominee!

Sam Mendes‘ love letter to cinema arrives at a time when the threat to small and independent picture houses like the Empire, shown here, is very real.  Empire Of Light reminds us of the magic and escape on offer when light hits celluloid…Hilary (Olivia Colman) is struggling with depression and can’t seem to find an escape, even within the silver screen where she works. Instead, she toils away in a job she finds no joy in. When Stephen (Micheal Ward) joins the team as an usher, however, she finds in him a lightness that cuts through the darkness in her life. Colman is magnificent, as always; whilst it is an unlikely relationship, she and Ward share a warm and believable chemistry. Elsewhere, the cast features British acting royalty in Toby Jones as the projectionist and Colin Firth as the cinema manager. –Outtake Mag

 “…worth seeing for the power of Colman’s lead performance and the expertly judged backup acting.”—RogerEbert.com