"[Set in England in 1980] EMPIRE OF LIGHT is a 2022 British romantic drama film written and directed by Sam Mendes. The film stars Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Monica Dolan, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, Toby Jones, and Colin Firth." - Wikipedia I would say that EMPIRE OF LIGHT is not what you would expect. It starts off seemingly only focused on one subject, but blossoms into a story about two people who manage to grow through different but nevertheless similar experiences. Hilary (Olivia Colman) and Stephen (Micheal Ward) almost couldn't be any different. She's a middle-aged White woman dealing with sexual harassment on the job. Stephen is a bright, young Black man with his whole future ahead of him. Yet through a shared feeling of being abused and outcast, they build something of a relationship, albeit temporary, that changes them. It's a lovely story--with some hints of HAROLD AND MAUDE--a carefully crafted visual love letter to film, and a sympathetic portrayal of the struggles of living in a world that often refuses to acknowledge the pain, both physical and mental, of "outsiders". I was glad to see that it went more in depth about the experience of racism and understanding it from multiple points of view, rather than simply having Stephen be a one-dimensional symbol for Hilary's growth. While there is growth from her experiences with Stephen, it's mutual and is more about the ways in which shared emotions can impact each person in unexpected ways.I also enjoyed the cinematic composition of the film as much as the symbolic changes in Hilary's style of dress as she continued to inwardly transform, particularly near and at the end of the story.In this interview, Sam Mendes talks about the intricate nature of the story and the deeply personal experiences that influenced him during the writing and directing of the movie. #SamMendes #EmpireofLight #OliviaColman #MichealWard