“The Empire of Light”
Wednesday, September 20, 1 p.m.
(Drama/Romance) Rated R (sexual content, language); 1 hour, 55 minutes. (2022)
Our last Wednesday art film of the summer is a British homage to the movie palaces of a bygone era. Coastal England, 1980. A middle-aged, unmarried cinema manager (Olivia Coleman) struggles to save a dying, chain movie theatre. Her loneliness and depression, compounded by a lecherous boss (Colin Firth), takes a turn when an energetic trainee (Micheal Ward) brightens her perspective on the business and life. Nominations included Best Cinematography (Oscar), Best Actress & Film (BAFTA) and AARP Best Grownup Love Story.