TIFF: "Empire of Light"

by Matt St Clair

The trailer for Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light promises to capture, if you will, the spirit of the Nicole Kidman AMC ad. Something that depicts the escapist power of moviegoing and 'that indescribable feeling we get when the lights dim.' As Toby Jones’ projectionist character says at one point, there is something about the experience of that beam of light bursting from the projector when the previews start, the theater darkens, and we’re all huddled together to escape into another place or time. 

In the film’s entirety, are we treated to the ode to moviegoing that the trailer promises? The answer is... somewhat. As it turns out, Empire of Light serves as a meditation on both mental illness and race as well as the power of cinema...

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Yes No Maybe So: "Empire of Light"

by Nathaniel R

Olivia Colman standing in front of the titular character, a movie theater named "Empire"

You know it's August when the Oscarrific trailers start hitting. Today's newbie is something we're very curious about. The film is Sam Mendes' Empire of Light starring Olivia Colman and A Movie Theater (from the looks of it). What a perfect combo that is... though the last time Colman tried to watch a movie onscreen things did NOT go well (remember that great but ferociously frustrating scene in The Lost Daughter?). In addition to being a movie about movies, Empire of Light also has racial and romantic elements in the drama.

The gorgeous trailer and a Yes No Maybe So breakdown after the jump...

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