Not even another brilliant performance by Olivia Colman - with one absolutely phenomenal scene at the end of the second act - and gorgeous cinematography by Roger Deakins - which, in all honesty, though beautiful may not really be his best work, or Oscar-worthy - could save this very basic and uninspiring film.
Written and directed by Sam Mendes, this film, for all its ambition, simply lacked depth and nuance. Mendes may not have been the best choice to tell a story about woman with mental health issues (?bipolar) or racism. In both cases, the rendering was superficial and slight, routine and insincere; most egregiously, the emotional beats were terribly manipulative and not earned at all. This was truly despite Colman giving a great performance and newcomer Micheal Ward in a potentially star-making turn.
Colman's face was just a miracle of micro-expressions. She is capable of having so much emotions just dance and play across her face at any one time. It truly was a marvel. Even when she is still, her eyes and those micro-expressions just never stop. Shame she was let down by Mendes in one of his most middling scripts.
Ward was an interesting revelation and his chemistry with Colman was strong. He has the potential to go far in this industry.
Toby Jones was the other standout and his little moments were delightful. Colin Firth, not so much. What a waste of an actor.
Deakins' cinematography was gorgeous as always. Both his night-time outdoor captures and those indoor ones within the Empire Cinema and Colman's character's private space were beautifully lit and intimately captured. However, his Oscar slot might have been better served if it went to Hoyte van Hoytema for Nope, Janusz Kaminski for The Fabelmans or Claudio Miranda for Top Gun: Maverick.
Music was by Trent Raznor and Atticus Ross, and the piano-heavy score was lilting and fitting but also, unfortunately, unremarkable and un-memorable.
Empire of Light was an obvious Oscar-bait, but Mendes should have kept the story simpler and used the wonder of films as a more consistent through-line and a secondary plot that perhaps he was more personally in-tune with
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