Empire of Light, set in early Saturday afternoon The world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival’s Herzog Theater proved to be the festival’s largest audience. – So far more enjoyable.
A smart, low-key, old-fashioned movie that’s not about setting the world on fire, but solid and satisfying, Searchlight will be on December 9 Japan’s “Empire of Light” is a hit here and looks like a strong Oscar contender; its writer/director track record, Sam Mendes , and its heroine, Olivia Colman; In fact, the Academy only likes a good movie about a movie .
Mendes introducing the film (with Coleman and her budding co-star Michael Ward joined via Zoom), perfect for the golden age of Hollywood as he has proven he can make almost any type of film – from domestic TV series to American Beauty () and Revolutionary Road (1980) to the Bond movieSkyfall (2012) and Spectre (1917 ) is 21 century, (2019) – All right.
The works of this new period are no exception. Mendes described it as a project that stemmed from the COVID lockdown and was personal to him. It centers on a middle-aged woman named Hilary (Colman) who begins a romance with a much younger man (Ward) – yes, Coleman in Maggie Gyllenhaal ‘s Lost Daughter (2008) – who came to work in the movie theater, she was long in charge for a stiff boss (Colin Firth) to oversee day-to-day operations. As the onion layers of Coleman’s character begin to peel, we learn more about her past, which helps explain her sometimes fickle nature.
While the entire ensemble of the movie is the perfect cast – including Toby Jones and Tanya Moody in their well-utilized small section – Coleman is outstanding as usual, if the academy thinks I’d be very surprised at five more than her heroine acting. If she is nominated, it will be her fourth nomination in five years, after The Favourite (2018 ), father (2012) and lost Daughter (2018), pretty amazing stats.
Other equally noteworthy and potentially noteworthy contribution to the Academy is the legendary two-time Academy Award winner Roger Deakins cinematography, which makes the film look like
Edward Hopper paintings come to life; Ai Beautifully crafted design by Beauty Award winner Mark Tildesley ; and two-time Oscar winner Original score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
.
Can Empire of Light crack the film, director and original screenplay categories, it’s too early to say – The Door Des would be personally eligible at each – but it’s certainly not impossible. To be sure, one can count on the searchlight to give it the most powerful shot possible.
