Empire of Light reviews

[flipp525]

Personally, I would take out Williams and put Colman in there. Unpopular opinion, but I don’t think voters are going to buy Williams as a lead and she’ll either get a supporting nod or be ignored all together.

Micheal Ward definitely has a chance but it might be too quiet of a performance to get noticed amidst the top contenders in more high-profile films. He’s really great though.

I also enjoyed Toby Jones as well as another one of the ushers played by Tom Brooke. Brooke played Michael Fagan in the episode of The Crown that centered on Fagan’s infamous Buckingham Palace break-in so it was a reunion of sorts with Colman who played QEII opposite him in the series.

[Sabin]

flipp525 wrote
I do think Colman deserves a nod but folks may disagree. Her work is so strong here, especially the look on her face as her character watches Being There. Really beautiful, empathetic performance.

That looks about right. I see five other people strongly running (Blanchett, Deadwyler, Robbie, Williams, Yeoh) which makes her chances more difficult. But they like Olivia Colman so I don't see why she wouldn't make the cut. I'm just wondering who she knocks off.

Does Ward have a chance?

[flipp525]

Sabin, I agree with you and think it could be a bottom of a list of ten contender. I bet it ends up on the NBR list.

Original Score
Cinematography
Actress

I do think Colman deserves a nod but folks may disagree. Her work is so strong here, especially the look on her face as her character watches Being There. Really beautiful, empathetic performance.

[Sabin]

flipp525 wrote
Olivia Colman plays Hillary Small, the duty manager of an English seaside cinema in the early 1980s. Hillary is small. The world around her has been reduced to the dilapidated theater where she works, the sexual favors she is asked to perform for her boss (Colin Firth) on an almost daily basis, and the lonely meals she eats alone in a sad and dusty flat. Everything changes for her when she meets Stephen (newcomer Micheal Ward) a black usher who begins working at the Empire Cinema. This is just the kind of quiet character study that has all but disappeared from movie screens over the past few years and, even though the film has some faults, it’s a welcome addition to the season.

Colman is just on such a roll in her career right now and this is career-high work for her. She communicates so much with her face - the loneliness and longing as well as a touch of the mania for which the character has been prescribed medication. The performances are better than the overall film which meanders a bit too much at times, but I think it’s well worth seeing just for the beautiful Colman/Ward chemistry and for another nomination-worthy performance from Colman. Highly recommended.

What nominations total do you think it will get? I've tentatively had it down for the bottom of the ten film roster.

[flipp525]

Olivia Colman plays Hillary Small, the duty manager of an English seaside cinema in the early 1980s. The name fits. Hillary is small. The world around her has been reduced to the dilapidated theater where she works, the sexual favors she is asked to perform for her boss (Colin Firth), and the lonely meals she eats alone in a sad and dusty flat. Everything changes for her when she meets Stephen (newcomer Micheal Ward) a black usher who begins working at the Empire Cinema. This is just the kind of quiet character study that has been disappearing over the past few years and, even though the film has some faults, it’s a welcome addition to the season.

Colman is on such a roll in her career right now and this is career-high work for her. She communicates so much with her face - the loneliness and longing as well as a touch of the mania. The performances are better than the overall film which meanders a bit too much at times, but I think it’s well worth seeing just for the beautiful Colman/Ward chemistry and for another nomination-worthy performance from Colman. Highly recommended.

[Sabin]

Olivia Colman is great, the movie less so (although it has some champions).

https://www.indiewire.com/2022/09/empir ... 234758188/
https://deadline.com/2022/09/empire-of- ... 235107299/
https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/e ... 235359331/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235207587/