Tag: Olivia Colman

THE ROSES – Review

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman in THE ROSES. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

If you are going to remake a movie, the dark comedy THE ROSES is the way to do it. The dark comedy THE ROSES proves that there is a right way to do a remake, telling the same story but in a refreshingly different way. With biting British-style humor, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are the perfect couple, battling or not, in this love story gone wrong.

Based on the novel, “The War of the Roses,” the original 1989 comedy/thriller of the same name starred Michael Douglas and Kathlees Turner as a successful American couple whose marriage turns sour, and then some. In that version, the romance was pretty conventional but sparks flew and the dark comedy came to the fore once the battle was on. In this one, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman play a quirky British couple relocated to the US early on, a pair of snarky, unique individuals with a biting sense of humor. We get more of a sense of their own weird, very British humor, and creative natures, with more humor and quirky romance before they head for divorce and a showdown over the house like the original.

Centered on a couple of creatives who share that same sense of stinging humor means comedy is at the forefront from the start, not just when the battle begins. Humor is a very personal thing, individual tastes vary, and styles of humor differ culture to culture. With this couple being British, it also means that one has to have an appreciation for British humor, if not an outright love of it. The humor style is very British, although it is fully accessible American audiences, and not loaded with unfamiliar British references. The fact that these two unique individuals are so creative and off-kilter means not everyone gets them, so meeting and falling for someone who truly does get them gives this marriage something extra, with a lot more romantic spark between them.

Although the film is set in the US, the style of humor is tongue-in-cheek, snarky British. The audience gets a quick preview of the couple’s style of humor (and the film’s) in an opening scene where they are getting couple’s counseling with an American therapist. The therapist has given them an assignment to write down ten things they like about the other but these snarky souls can’t help themselves, and the “ten things I like about you” go from back-handed to pure snark. After Ivy reads her list, Theo bursts out laughing, and they laughingly trade more insults, while the therapist looks on in horror. “It’s called repartee,” Theo says, rolling his eyes. The Brits think this verbal sparring is hilarious and normal, but the American therapist recoils and ends the session. If your reaction to that scene is more like the therapist’s, you might not find this film as hilarious as I did.

The humor is snarky but less dark that the original film, although these creative people know how to bring the crazy to the fight too. Because these two are so unfiltered and satiric, they (and we) know they are the kind of couple who are made for each other, and no one else will really do. That doesn’t mean that they don’t know how to fight. Strong-willed, neither wants to lose an argument, and with two such sharp-tongued people, there are bound to be sparks and spats, even if underneath they love each and know no one else will ever get them like the other does.

THE ROSES has one the best meet-cutes ever, when architect Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) becomes frustrated during a company meeting in a restaurant and storms away from the group – and into the kitchen. There he comes face to face with chef Ivy (Olivia Colman). The two trade quips, then their dreams, lock eyes, and fall in love. Cumberbatch and Colman do this beautifully, fully believable, romantic and charmingly funny. It’s like watching classic screwball comedy, the kind that starred Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, but with the personalities reversed.

Like in the original comedy, Theo and Ivy are financially successful couple but we get to see a lot more up-and-down of how they got there, which makes for a more interesting story. From the London meet-cute, we flash forward to the married couple living in California, in a modest house near a beach. Now with two kids, Ivy stays home to care the the kids, making fabulous meals for the family, while Theo pursues his architectural career. Worried that Ivy is feeling a bit unfulfilled, as her culinary efforts for the kids are getting more and more elaborate, Theo encourages her to open a little seafood restaurant in an old building nearby. She does, naming it, in her own style, “We’ve Got Crabs.” The crab shack draws only a handful of customers on the three days a week it is open (“Is it the name?” Theo wonders aloud, tongue-in-cheek), but Ivy is fine with that.

Two things happen to upset the dynamic in the marriage: a traumatic fail for Theo as he unveils a grand new building and Ivy’s crab shack getting a glowing review from a big city food critic. Suddenly the economic situation flips, as Theo, suddenly unemployed, decides to stay home with the kids while regrouping while Ivy concentrates on her suddenly successful restaurant. It’s supposed to be temporary, while Theo rebuilds his reputation and Ivy seizes an opportunity.

That shift provides the spark that leads to other changes, then conflict and resentments. The more money they have, thanks to Ivy’s widening success, the more tensions the couple have, as they are pulled in different directions. With two creative, competitive, sharp-tongued characters, sooner or later things will blow up.

Colman and Cumberbatch are absolutely marvelous in this film, with spot-on perfect verbal sparring and charmingly quirky romance. The characters are so alike, which is part of their problem, so compromise is hard. Director Jay Roach paces this growing battle perfectly, with more back-and-forth, on-and-off romance than the original, making the battle of the Roses feels fresh rather than like a retread. The humor is distinctly British and sharp, delivered by two of the most skilled professionals alive, making it both hilarious and a joy to watch. Jay Roach backs all that comic gold up with a perfect supporting cast, including Kate McKinnon and Andy Samburg, who are wonderful as the couple’s American best friends.

Writer Tony McNamara takes full advantage of the Brits in America situation, with plenty of fish-out-of-water, culture-clash humor and a bit of social commentary, especially in a hilarious scene at a shooting range.

Visually, the film is a delight as well. The film is beautifully shot by Florian Hoffmeister, highlighting the lovely California scenery, and appropriately showcasing the architecture. THE ROSES has some of the most tempting food photography I’ve seen, with one gorgeous plate or sculpted dessert after another. Another wow are the costumes Olivia Colman sports throughout, emphasizing her creative and unconventional spirit, so that one looks forward to seeing what creative outfit her Ivy will don in the next scene.

With the caveat that British humor isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, for those who enjoy that style of comedy,

THE ROSES is that rarest thing, a romantic comedy that is just an excellent film, and which hearkens back to the classic Hollywood era when romantic comedies were the best comedies. THE ROSES is the whole package, a dark romantic comedy that has plenty of comedy and romance before the mayhem begins, with a brilliantly matched lead couple, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, a perfectly-paced script with nearly non-stop laughs but lots of heart, wonderful supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, delightful costumes, and a perfect finish. It’s a film worth seeing more than once to laugh again, and proves that sometimes it is worth remaking a film. It also leads one to hope for more pairings between Cumberbatch and Colman.

THE ROSES opens in theaters on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

PADDINGTON IN PERU – Review

Paddington in PADDINGTON IN PERU.

Although there are still a few weeks before most kids get their much anticipated Spring breaks, another “family-friendly” franchise flick arrives which hopes to give a bit of warmth to the chilly last weeks of Winter. Now December, and 2024, finished up with two such films, MUFASA: THE LION KING which is a rare sequel/prequel in Disney’s series, and another adventure of the video game superstar, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3. Like the latter, this new release is the third outing, and it also mixes a CGI-animated character in a live-action world. However, it also shares its origins with the current (for the last two weeks) box office champ DOG Man, which is based on a beloved series of children’s books. Now can the filmmakers score a rare “hat trick’ as the first sequel is so admired that it was ‘name-checked” at the end of the Nicholas Cage comedy THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT? Perhaps that’s why they’re “shaking things up” with a change in locale as we join PADDINGTON IN PERU.


The film actually starts off in that exotic land with a short flashback as our hero Paddington the bear (voice of Ben Whishaw) has a last visit with his adored Aunt Lucy (voice of Imelda Staunton). Then it’s back to the present day as Paddington returns to his train station to obtain a photo, in a coin-automated booth, for a passport, which will confirm that he’s now a legal British citizen. Back at his home with the Browns, matriarch Mary (Emily Mortimer) is concerned that the family is drifting apart. Son Johnathan (Samuel Joslin) barely leaves his room as he invents gadgets to aid in his video game mania, while daughter Judy (Madeleine Harris) is (sigh) deciding on a college, Even papa Henry (Hugh Bonneville) is busy trying to impress his new American boss (who thinks he “plays it safe”) at the insurance company. A postal letter changes everything as Paddington gets news from the Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman) who runs the Home for Retired Bears in Peru. It seems that Aunt Lucy deeply misses him as her behavior has become increasingly odd. Paddington must return to his homeland, and the Browns will join him on the trip (that’ll show Henry’s new boss). But when they arrive the Reverend Mother informs them that Lucy wandered away, into the dense jungle. Later, Paddington visits her room and discovers a note with a map that leads to Rumi Rock. Grandmother Bird (Julie Walters) stays behind with the RM (she fears the outside world), as the Browns venture out to the village in hopes of hiring a guide and a boat. Luckily both appear as they meet Captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his “first mate”, daughter Gina (Carla Tous). Ah, but things take a turn as he discovers that the map will take him to the fabled lost land of gold, El Dorado, which was sought by his greedy ancestors. Gina suspects her papa has “gold fever”, but can she ‘snap him out of it” before his zeal causes disaster for the Browns and prevents a reunion between Paddington and Lucy?


Although it’s been nearly eight years since our last cinema “visit”, the cast of regulars nimbly slip into their roles as though they were comfy slightly worn slippers. Whishaw still gives a mellow melodic gentle tone to the little bear’s “pipes”. Bonneville also brings lots of warmth to the bumbling, often befuddled, but caring patriarch. Harris and Joslin ease into the “young adult” stage of the Brown siblings. Walters is a grey-haired energetic dynamo as the plucky Granny Bird. Plus we get a nice cameo from Jim Broadbent as sage shopkeeper Mr. Gruber. As for the new “additions”, Mortimer takes over from Sally Hawkins as the sometimes melancholy (feeling the empty nest blues) matriarch, who provides a gentle “nudge” to point everyone in the correct direction. That’s when she’s not stifling a “swoon” over the dashing seafarer Cabot given the full swashbuckler swagger from the wry Banderas. He’s having a blast, especially when he’s donning wigs and period costumes to play the branches of the Cabot family tree. Tous is a terrific “level head” as she sees her papa “going for the gold”. Matching Banderas in the “embracing the silly” is the zany Colman, spicing up her lines with a sweet “sing-song” cheerfulness deftly parodying cinema’s “cute clergy” (crooning like a crazed maria from THE SOUND OF MUSIC), or evading inquiries with a vapid vagueness. These screen vets are happily enjoying a romp in the Paddington playground.

Oh, that playground has a new supervisor in director Dougal Wilson who takes the reigns from Paul King (who contributes to the whimsical screenplay). Thankfully he keeps the tone light and breezy presenting a magical timeless version of London while expanding the focus to present a very adventurous, slightly dangerous (the fishes nibble too much) classic pulp-novel version of Peru. Unfortunately, the pace lags a bit once the Browns are separated in the lush leafy jungle, and Cabot’s pursuit resembles a mix of the Looney Tunes Coyote and Indiana Jones (a boulder that seems to have a mind of its own) which may get the tykes a bit squirmy (a six or seven minute trim would’ve been a help). That and the lack of a great campy villain (miss you Phoenix B.) contributes to this being the weakest of the trilogy. But the standards set by the previous two are so high, especially among so much dreary family fare, that this is still an engaging watch. And really, we’d follow the Browns anywhere, especially when they join PADDINGTON IN PERU.


3 out of 4


PADDINGTON IN PERU opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, February 14, 2025

The Sweet PADDINGTON IN PERU Trailer Is Charming!

Happy Wednesday fellow movie geeks. The first trailer has arrived for PADDINGTON IN PERU!

As you can from the two posters, the film will open in U.S. theaters on January 17, 2025 and will debut in UK cinemas two months earlier on November 8, 2024. 

https://www.paddingtoninperu.co.uk

PADDINGTON IN PERU brings Paddington’s story to Peru as he returns to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.

Directed by Dougal Wilson, PADDINGTON IN PERU stars Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Carla Tous and Jim Broadbent. Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton both return as the voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.

PADDINGTON (2014) grossed $282,463,312 worldwide on an estimated budget of $55 million. In the US and Canada, it grossed $76,271,832 and had an opening weekend of $18,966,676. PADDINGTON 2 (2017) grossed $227.3 million worldwide, with $40.9 million in the US and Canada and $186.4 million in other countries. It had an opening of $11,001,961 in 3,702 theaters.

PADDINGTON 2 received three nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards: Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for Hugh Grant.

According to the BBC:

Ben Whishaw will again star as the voice of the marmalade-loving bear, with Aunt Lucy still voiced by Imelda Staunton.

Hugh Bonneville, Dame Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin also return.

But Sally Hawkins has handed the role of Mrs Brown to Emily Mortimer.

Announcing her departure, Hawkins said she “loved” her time making the first two films but it was “the right time to hand the reins over to another”, adding: “One can’t get much better than the truly wonderful Emily Mortimer – she is extraordinarily special.”

Another addition to the cast, Olivia Colman, stars as a guitar-playing nun who works at the Home for Retired Bears. She tells Paddington and co that Aunt Lucy is “on some sort of quest”.

He then embarks on a mission to find her, with the help of a boat captain, voiced by another newcomer, Antonio Banderas. Dame Julie Walters returns as Mrs Bird, in her first film role in three years.

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS – Review

Olivia Colman as Edith Swan in ‘Wicked Little Letters’ Image: Parisa Taghizadeh. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS is one of those truth-stranger-than-fiction tales that remind us that people are weirder than we might think. Director Thea Sharrock opens her comedy/mystery tale with text informing us “more of this is true than you might think,” a comic mystery about on the sudden appearance of anonymous obscene letters sent to various residents of a quiet of early 1920s little British seaside town. The first victim is Edith Swan (Olivia Colman), prim and proper religious spinster who still lives with her parents, and who embodies the last-gasp of the Victorian era ideal of a quiet obedient woman against those uppity women demanding the vote. Suspicion quickly falls on Edith’s neighbor, a foul-mouthed new arrival from Ireland, Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), who has a daughter Nancy (Alisha Weir), and a live-in Black boyfriend Bill (Malachi Kirby), but who also frequents pubs, listens to jazz, and pretty much does and says what she likes.

While the male police force are only to happy to assume the foul-mouthed Irishwoman is behind the letters, the one woman on the police force,Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan), is more suspicious. For one thing, the letters using more educated language than one might expect from the plain-spoken Rose, and the fancy handwriting seems not to fit either. However, Moss’ doubts are dismissed by the sexist, dim-witted male police, and she is told to stick to her assigned duties, providing emotional support for female crime victims or witnesses.

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS is a comic romp in a 1920s little village where part of the fun is in its true-story basis and the early feminist tables-turning. We actually do hear several of the “wicked little letters” read aloud, and they are funny, quirky, and surprisingly more obscene little personal insults than you might expect, and of a nature we won’t repeat here. They get a laugh, at least the first few times we hear them, which is often enough to get a bit repetitive.

The biggest delight are Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, who are deliciously funny in all their scenes together. Colman and Buckley play off each other brilliantly whenever these two characters encounter each other. Despite what you expect, the characters actually kind of like each other, and even started out as friends, when the lonely, religious Edith decides to befriend her new neighbor Rose, thinking to bring her into her church circle, but instead discovers the strong-willed Rose’s capacity for salty language and humor.

The cast is filled with other gems, including Emma Jones as Edith’s devout, meek and kindly mother, and her more overbearing, bullying father, played by Timothy Spall in a rare more negative role. Edith’s father rails against the suffragettes fight for the vote as if it is a personal insult to manhood and demands complete obedience from his daughter. Among the women joining the police officer in her investigation are a trio of the over-looked and off-beat, Mabel (Eileen Atkins), Kate (Lolly Adefope) and Ann (Joanna Scanlan).

The comedy is broad, all the men are dumb and all the women are smart, but it is a lot of fun to watch, especially any time Colman and Buckley share the screen. Anjana Vasan as “Woman Police Officer Moss” as she is always called, is good too, a real expert at eye-rolling, and the rest of the cast add their bits too. Solving the mystery is less the problem than gathering the proof, which the script by British writer/comedian Jonny Sweet milks for humorous switches and near-misses.

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS is just a romp of a comedy, based on a true story set in a time when gender roles were bending and new possibilities opening, and featuring hilarious performances, especially from Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley in hilarious verbal sparring matches.

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS opens Friday, Apr. 5, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

Timothée Chalamet Stars In First Trailer For WONKA

Here’s a first look at the brand new trailer for WONKA, hitting cinemas on December 15.

Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most iconic children’s book and one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.

From Paul King, writer/director of the “Paddington” films, David Heyman, producer of “Harry Potter,” “Gravity,” “Fantastic Beasts” and “Paddington,” and producers Alexandra Derbyshire (the “Paddington” films, “Jurassic World: Dominion”) and Luke Kelly (“Roald Dahl’s The Witches”), comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.

Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (“The Prom,” “Schmigadoon”), Paterson Joseph (“Vigil,” “Noughts + Crosses”), Matt Lucas (“Paddington,” “Little Britain”), Mathew Baynton (“The Wrong Mans,” “Ghosts”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water,” the “Paddington” films, “Spencer”), Rowan Atkinson (the “Johnny English” and “Mr. Bean” films, “Love Actually”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”), with Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”). The film also stars Natasha Rothwell (“White Lotus,” “Insecure”), Rich Fulcher (“Marriage Story,” “Disenchantment”), Rakhee Thakrar (“Sex Education,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), Tom Davis (“Paddington 2,” “King Gary”) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Paddington 2,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Mary Poppins Returns”).

Simon Farnaby (“Paddington 2”) & Paul King wrote the screenplay, based on a story by King and characters created by Roald Dahl. Michael Siegel, Cate Adams, Rosie Alison and Tim Wellspring are serving as executive producers. King’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Chung-Hoon Chung (“Last Night in Soho,” “Ah-ga-ssi”); Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“Tenet,” “Dunkirk”); editor Mark Everson (the “Paddington” films); Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (the “Paddington” films, “Topsy-Turvy”); and composer Joby Talbot (the “Sing” films). Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy is writing original songs for the film.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Heyday Films Production, a Paul King Confection, “Wonka,” set to open in theaters and in IMAX internationally beginning in December 2023 and in North America on December 15, 2023; it will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION Feels Like A Movie In New Trailer

SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 MARVEL.

Feeling more like an MCU film, watch the trailer for Marvel Studios’ espionage thriller “Secret Invasion”. The live-action, original series premieres June 21, exclusively on Disney+.

In Marvel Studios’ new series “Secret Invasion,” set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.

Marvel Studios’ “Secret Invasion” stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Charlayne Woodard, Killian Scott, Samuel Adewunmi, Dermot Mulroney, Christopher McDonald, Katie Finneran, with Emilia Clarke and Olivia Colman, and Don Cheadle.

Ali Selim directs the series and executive-produces, along with fellow executive producers Kevin Feige, Jonathan Schwartz, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Samuel L. Jackson, Ali Selim, Kyle Bradstreet and Brian Tucker. Kyle Bradstreet is also the head writer, and Jennifer L. Booth, Allana Williams and Brant Englestein serve as co-executive producers.

(L-R): Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

Don Cheadle as James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Rebel Skrull leader Gravik in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

(L-R): Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Des Willie. © 2023 MARVEL.

Emilia Clarke as G’iah in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.

(L-R): Emilia Clarke as G’iah and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Des Willie. © 2023 MARVEL.
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Des Willie. © 2023 MARVEL.
Martin Freeman as Agent Everett Ross in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.
Olivia Colman as Special Agent Sonya Falsworth in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

EMPIRE OF LIGHT – Review

So could an underlying theme connect several film releases over the past year? Quite possibly, as this new work arrives right between two works that embrace the nostalgia of cinema itself. A few weeks ago, audiences got a glimpse into the early inspirations of one of our most celebrated filmmakers in THE FABELMANS, which reflected on the artist’s influences from the early 1950s into the next decade. And in a week we’ll get another director’s look back into the late 1920s and early 1930s when Hollywood was thought of as a modern-day BABYLON. Now, this drama jumps ahead in time from both, as it takes place during the early 1980s, just a few years before another blockbuster that would spawn a sequel this year. Another big difference is that this new flick is more about the finished products rather than the making of the movies. In fact, it’s about a movie palace that showcased them, a towering EMPIRE OF LIGHT.

That theatre is really called the Empire, and in 1981 it’s the jewel of the seaside boardwalk in Margate, on the Isle of Thanet, Kent catering to many Brits on “holiday’ along with throngs of “locals”. The staff is mostly comprised of college-aged teens looking for a job before their big careers. But for two workers there it’s almost become their “legacy”. High above the “broom-pushers” and “popcorn-fillers” is the aloof prickly projectionist Norman (Toby Jones), but keeping the guests happy is long-timer/co-ordinator Hilary (Olivia Colman). Unfortunately she’s also “tasked” with keeping her boss “happy” as she becomes a sexual plaything for the theatre’s married manager/director Mr. Ellis (Colin Firth). Hilary never complains as she spends her days shuffling from the theatre to her lonely apartment. And then her routine changes when she meets the newest “hire”, a sensitive and smart young man named Stephan (Michael Ward). With the changing social and political climate, the small-town thugs and “skinheads” place a target on black men like him. And though they’re from different backgrounds and eras (the whole May/December thing), Hilary begins a passionate secret love affair with Stephan. However, when the local hooligans storm the Empire and attack him, this shatters her delicate psyche, sending her into a mental health crisis. Not long after Mr. Ellis announces that the Empire will be part of a “shared” nationwide premiere of the new “prestige” picture CHARIOTS OF FIRE. Can Hilary control her inner demons and join Stephan for the big event?

Thsi heartfelt “memory piece” provides a powerful showcase for the always superb Ms. Colman, adding another complex character to her impressive resume. She projects a real warmth as Hilary to her co-workers, almost becoming their “work mum” while being the consummate “team player. This adds to our shock as we see her abused and exploited by her selfish “superior”. When she meets her “soul mate” Colman lets us see that the spark in Hilary’s often tired eyes as be rekindled, then we see it neatly snuffed out when the intolerant outside forces intrude and push her into an abyss of despair and delusion. Ward is soulful and sympathetic as the kind newcomer who touches Hilary’s fragile heart, merging with her rather than using her like the detestable Ellis, given an arrogant sneer and pompous demeanor by the talented Firth who treats the big “premiere” as his big chance to elevate his social and economic status. For him, Hilary is a mere “stress reliever’ who must toil in “the trenches” until his urges take control. Some much-needed comic relief is provided by Jones whose Norman sees himself as the king of his tiny “nerve center” of the cinema priding himself over his attention to perfect focus and split-second “reel changes”.

Writer/director Sam Mendes takes a hiatus from his big blockbusters like 1917 and the Bond franchise for a “deep dive’ into 1980s film cultures and the swirling political landscape of the time. We get the impression that he commenting about the current “climate”, but he “hammers” away at it, often intruding on the character study at the story’s center. Mendes sets us up for a whimsical nostalgic romp, then abruptly switches gears into a “forbidden” love story which leads to a plunge into madness. Of course, an exploration of mental health issues can illuminate, but here it seems to provide several big dramatic and awkward sequences with little insight, as with Hilary’s intrusion into Ellis’ premier triumph. It also chips away at the romance between her and Stephan which has little direction and appears to “spin its wheels” during the last act. As stated earlier, Colman is superb, but the script structure really leaves her adrift. Finally, her big elevation feels forced and more than a bit contrived when she finds her “sanctuary”, not a church but a true EMPIRE OF LIGHT.

2.5 Out of 4

EMPIRE OF LIGHT is now playing in select theatres

Michael Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones And Olivia Coleman Star In Trailer For Sam Mendes’ EMPIRE OF LIGHT

Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

Searchlight Pictures has released the first trailer for EMPIRE OF LIGHT.

Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, EMPIRE OF LIGHT is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema, from Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes.

Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, announced that Mendes will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award. The TIFF Tribute Awards presented by BVLGARI will return to an in-person gala fundraiser during the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 11 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

TIFF will be presenting the Canadian Premiere of Mendes’ most recent work, which he wrote, directed, and produced. Mendes made his feature film debut at the Festival in 1999 with the World Premiere of American Beauty, a TIFF People’s Choice Award winner, for which he was honoured with an Oscar in the Best Director category.

Called “catnip for cinephiles” by Bailey, watch the first trailer.

EMPIRE OF LIGHT features a stellar cast led by Academy Award winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Lost Daughter), BAFTA winner Micheal Ward (Blue Story, Top Boy), with Toby Jones and Academy Award winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, A Single Man). It also reunites Mendes with Academy Award winning cinematographer Roger Deakins (1917, Skyfall).

In August it was announced that EMPIRE OF LIGHT would be the American Express Gala Film at the 66th BFI London Film Festival.

The film, produced by Sam Mendes and Pippa Harris’ Neal Street Productions, in partnership with Searchlight Pictures, will release theatrically in the US on December 9 and in the UK on January 13.

Sam Mendes said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be included in this year’s BFI London Film Festival as the AMEX Gala screening. Empire of Light is a very personal movie for me, and I can’t wait to show it in my home town.”

MOTHERING SUNDAY – Review

Odessa Young as Jane Fairchild, Josh O’Connor as Paul Sheringham in MOTHERING SUNDAY. Image by Jamie D. Ramsay (SASC). Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

What looks at first like period drama, a steamy “Downton Abbey,” set in England in the wake of World War I, morphs into something deeper and more far-reaching, as MOTHERING SUNDAY follows the changing life of a young maid, tracing the awful legacy of that devastating war and the transformations it wrought, and also depicting a literary awakening and three stages in an artist’s life.

MOTHERING SUNDAY starts out in1924 at a British country manor house on Mother’s Day, known there as Mothering Sunday, when aristocrats traditionally gave their servants the day off to visit their mothers. Young Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) was raised in an orphanage so she has no mother to visit. However, she has other, secret plans, to visit her lover, Paul (Josh O’Connor, the young Prince Charles on “The Crown”), the son of aristocrat friends of her employers, kindly Mr. Niven (Colin Firth) and stern, unsmiling Mrs. Niven (Olivia Colman), who are joining Paul’s parents to picnic on the banks of the Thames along with another aristocratic couple whose daughter, Emma Hobday (Emma D’Arcy), is engaged to Paul.

But Paul is going to show up late, claiming he’s studying, although he’s really meeting Jane , his longtime lover, at his home, for a rare chance for them to enjoy a comfortable real bed. We get scenes of the maid and young aristocrat cavorting joyfully, with full frontal nudity by both Odessa Young and Josh O’Connor.

After her lover Paul departs, young Jane wanders, sans clothing, around the deserted mansion, as the film flashes back and forth in time. Also inter-cut are scenes with the aristocratic families picnicking on the banks of the Thames, the party that Paul is going to join.

The nudity is one of the things that lingers in the mind with this drama, along with its unusual non-linear structure. Despite the film’s unusual structure, we are never lost or unclear about where or when we are, a tribute to director Eva Husson’s skill. The film also impresses with its rich visual beauty and the gem-like performances explore the lasting impact of the particularly devastating WWI.

The flashbacks show Jane earlier in her long romance with Paul, as well as going about her work at the Nivens’ mansion or in conversation with another maid, who lost her fiance to the war. It jumps forward in time to scenes of her working in a bookstore and with a philosopher played by Sope Dirisu, who became her husband, and then Jane late in life as a famous writer, played by the legendary Glenda Jackson. It is a life of loss and triumph, from humble beginnings.

The class divide dooms Jane and Paul’s romance while Paul’s engagement is a more “suitable” marriage for both young people. But it is a prospect less wanted by either of the engaged young people than their parents, the reasons for which are eventually revealed.

This story does not remain the steamy period romance it appears to be at first, although we sense a sadness underneath from the start. We first meet Jane as a young maid, who was born the out-of-wedlock daughter of a maid, raised in an orphanage, and working as a servant in an aristocratic house and having an affair with a young aristocrat. It is not a life with great promise but in shifting times, Jane’s life takes her far from the manor house, through a number of changes as she becomes the famous writer she will be.

Director Eva Husson’s film, using a script by Alice Birch, departs from the original story by Graham Swift but in doing so, the film expands its scope include the bigger shifts in British society at the time, as well as the remarkable life of this woman.

The film is flooded with a deep visual beauty, particularly in the earliest part, thanks to Jamie Ramsay’s fine photography. The tragedy of the war, and other losses that follow, shape Jane’s life indirectly but while there is plenty of personal heartbreak and loss in this tale along with its triumphs.

The film sports an impressive cast of British greats, although many of them get only brief screen time. Still, they each deliver gem-like performances. Olivia Colman plays Clarrie Niven, the dour wife of Colin Firth’s sweet Mr. Niven, who we may dislike until the reason for her grimness, and other unspoken tensions, are revealed at the picnic in a heartbreaking scene. Firth, O’Connor, and Emma D’Arcy, as Paul’s fiancee, also give searing, heart-rending performances, but a standout is Sope Dirisu, as the man who opens to door to Jane’s literary awakening and adds another tragic note. These fine performances, however brief, powerfully help depict the devastating legacy of the war and the other experiences, good and painful, that shape the protagonist’s life and career as a writer.

It is better not to describe too much of the story, which risks spoilers, but the changes in this young woman’s life reflect the changes in British society after WWI, particularly shifts in the class system and the expanding opportunities for women. That war nearly wiped out a generation of young men, leaving parents bereft but also a generation of young women with no young men to marry, women who then had to consider how to make their own way in life, and maybe seek more. None of this is expressed directly, but indirectly it is reflected in the life of the woman we meet as a young maid who becomes a famous author, a transformation nearly inconceivable in an earlier era.

This fine drama has many rewards, and not just its evocative visual beauty, with director Eva Husson’s skillful storytelling and fine performances by a cast of British greats. MOTHERING SUNDAY opens in theaters on Friday, Apr. 8.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

Watch The First Trailer For PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH Starring The Voices Of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Olivia Colman, John Mulaney And Florence Pugh

This fall, everyone’s favorite leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline returns. 

For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation presents a new adventure in the Shrek universe as daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet. 

Academy Award® nominee Antonio Banderas returns as the voice of the notorious PiB as he embarks on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss will have to humble himself and ask for help from his former partner and nemesis: the captivating Kitty Soft Paws (Oscar® nominee Salma Hayek). 

In their quest, Puss and Kitty will be aided—against their better judgment—by a ratty, chatty, relentlessly cheerful mutt, Perro (Harvey Guillén, What We Do in the Shadows). Together, our trio of heroes will have to stay one step ahead of Goldilocks (Oscar® nominee Florence Pugh, Black Widow) and the Three Bears Crime Family, “Big” Jack Horner (Emmy winner John Mulaney, Big Mouth) and terrifying bounty hunter, The Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura, Narcos).

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish features an all-star comedic cast that includes Oscar® winner Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone (Black Widow), Samson Kayo (Sliced), Emmy nominee Anthony Mendez (Jane the Virgin) and Tony nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Trolls World Tour). 

The long-awaited follow-up to the 2011 Academy Award®-nominated blockbuster, The Last Wish is directed by Joel Crawford and produced by Mark Swift, the creative team behind DreamWorks Animation’s smash, The Croods: A New Age. The film’s executive producer is Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri. 

The character of Puss in Boots first appeared in 2004’s Oscar®-nominated Shrek 2 and instantly became a global, scene-stealing sensation. Puss then co-starred in two other Shrek sequels and his solo film, as well as in multiple DreamWorks Animation videos and TV series. The Shrek and Puss in Boots films have collectively earned more than $3.5 billion worldwide.