Empire of Light (2022)
Roger Deakins and Sam Mendes make a gorgeous piece that falls a bit short.
Presentation:
Roger Deakins really demonstrates how you can make any location beautiful with lighting. My only problem is some shots look too stylized, too good, which is a bit jarring when juxtaposed with outdoor scenes with natural lighting. It looks like a Roger Deakins film, which is beautiful, though not always appropriate for some shots. I found the beauty to even be a bit distracting at times. Deakins evolves into large format and wider Arri signature primes, the clean visuals making it a bit unclear as to which time period the film takes place. It tonally feels like Sam Mendes is trying to recycle the magic from American Beauty.
Story:
The story takes place at an English theatre during a time with racial tensions. The are some criticisms that the racial elements were unnecessary and sprinkled in as an afterthought, that the film would be fine without it, but i think it actually really humanized the supporting lead. Olivia Colman gives another class performance with masterful presence. I personally really enjoyed their relationship and didn't find racial elements to detract from the story, though the focus is definitely spread thin. Ultimately the movie hinges on the relationship between the lead and supporting lead, which I found genuine. Do the two really have chemistry? It’s not so much the race as it is the age. I personally didn't find it distracting but I can see it not convincing some audiences.
Conclusion:
I can’t get over how beautiful this film is. But whether you’ll like it depends on whether you find their romance convincing. I personally didn’t think there was a politically motivated agenda despite it appearing so (maybe an Oscar agenda) and I’m normally quite observant of this. It may not be out of place for some, but I was able to look past the flaws. I’m a big fan of Olivia Colman and its shortcomings didn’t detract from the drama for me.
Recommendations
Shakespearean level comedy, ay?