Empire of Light – 2023 film directed by Sam Mendes
It’s a treat to see dear old Margate centre stage in a thoughtful film which revisits the Kent resort just as its glamour really begins to fade and the Mods and Rockers arrive in the early 1980s. I learned afterwards that the company took over Dreamland where most of Empire of the Light was filmed
Hilary (Olivia Colman) is front of house manager at a big cinema – still just about functioning although parts of it are derelict. She has mental health issues – the back story gradually emerges – and Colman, always good at a troubled looks and eager smiles, gets the right blend of volatility, anger, tenderness and
