Sam Mendes fills his superbly cast, deeply personal drama with surprises, all emerging from a cinema in a working-class town in 1980s England. Hilary (Olivia Colman, in another knockout performance) is a single woman who runs the ticket booth, where she meets Steven (played with stirring confidence by relative newcomer Micheal Ward). Though on its surface a love story, Empire of Light is not what you might expect, as Mendes sidesteps the expected nostalgia to instead follow the credo written on the cinema’s walls: “Find in light where darkness lies.” The film (which also features Colin Firth and Toby Jones) leads us through the characters’ profound struggles, both internally and with a society encountering massive cultural and economic shifts. Working again with the Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins, Mendes has created a rich, complex celebration that, at its core, reminds us how music and cinema can bring us together, even as the world drives us apart. –Isabel Pinner (courtesy of Telluride Film Festival)
Head over to the EMERALD C GALLERY for the Red Carpet After-Party
8:30-11pm
After watching the Opening Night feature head over to the Red Carpet After Party!
Art+food+film converge in a unique gallery and outdoor space! Enjoy adult beverages and savory bites from the Brigantine, stroll through the gallery, enjoy live music and more!
Sponsored by CalPrivate Bank
Open to badge holders attending one of the Opening Night Film Screenings 4pm or 7pm
