Sam Mendes’ Uneven Romantic Drama
The filmmaker’s follow-up to ‘1917’ had its world premiere at Telluride and explores the unlikely bond between two employees of a movie theater.
Grade: B- (**1/2* out of *****)
As the story opens, 1980 is coming to a close and The Blues Brothers and All That Jazz are featured on the marquee of the Empire.
Most of the Empire’s crew is younger, including the punkish Janine (Hannah Onslow) and the sympathetic junior manager, Neil (an endearing Tom Brooke).
Closer to Hilary’s age is projectionist Norman, who’s played by Toby Jones, making the character’s professional pride and love for the projection booth’s believable.
Their connection begins with his curiosity about the theater itself, which takes them to the abandoned upper floors, one of them a former ballroom.
The Empire’s ghostly top floor soon becomes the site of trysts between Hilary and Stephen; Colman shows vulnerability and Wald expresses attraction to the older woman.
The characters prevail in a moment of time defined by Stir Crazy and Chariots of Fire, which, Ellis is proud to announce, will have its “regional gala premiere” at the Empire; in the background, there’s Thatcherism and racist violence.
The racial theme is addressed with a heavy touch, rendering Wald as someone more symbolic than fully fleshed — through no fault of the actor.
As his mother, a single parent and nurse, Tanya Moodie makes an impression in her brief screen time, demonstrating the source of Stephen’s integrity.
The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross taps into a nostalgic vein and the overall visual luster of the film. Tracks by Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens are used — particularly the latter’s “Morning Has Broken,” providing melodic counterpoint to unsettling scene in which Hilary is at her most precarious.
