Empire of Light - SPOILER-FREE Review | LFF 2022

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Empire of Light - SPOILER-FREE Review | LFF 2022

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Written by: Sam Mendes

Starring: Olivia Colman, Monica Dolan, Micheal Ward, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, Toby Jones, Colin Firth

Runtime: 115 min

Synopsis: Hilary (Olivia Colman) manages a seafront picture palace. Once an opulent multiscreen cinema with a dance hall overlooking the sea, now only one screen remains open, albeit a grand one. In preparation for a regional premiere of Chariots of Fire, Hilary and her colleagues spruce up the venue. Outside, the town itself is crumbling, with a rising far-right presence and Stephen (Micheal Ward) regularly harassed by skinheads. A story about human connection and the magic of cinema.

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Spectre (2015) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Spectre (2015) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Written by: John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Jez Butterworth

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Andrew Scott, Monica Bellucci, Ralph Fiennes

Runtime: 148 min

Synopsis: A cryptic message from the past leads James Bond (Daniel Craig) to Mexico City and Rome, where he meets the beautiful widow (Monica Bellucci) of an infamous criminal. After infiltrating a secret meeting, 007 uncovers the existence of the sinister organization SPECTRE. Needing the help of the daughter of an old nemesis, he embarks on a mission to find her. As Bond ventures toward the heart of SPECTRE, he discovers a chilling connection between himself and the enemy (Christoph Waltz) he seeks.

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Skyfall (2012) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Skyfall (2012) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Written by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan

Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Albert Finney, Judi Dench

Runtime: 143 min

Synopsis: When James Bond's (Daniel Craig) latest assignment goes terribly wrong, it leads to a calamitous turn of events: undercover agents around the world are exposed, and MI6 is attacked, forcing M (Judi Dench) to relocate the agency. With MI6 now compromised inside and out, M turns to the one man she can trust: Bond. Aided only by a field agent (Naomie Harris), Bond takes to the shadows and follows a trail to Silva (Javier Bardem), a man from M's past who wants to settle an old score.

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1917 (2019) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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1917 (2019) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Written by: Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch

Runtime: 119 min

Synopsis: At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers… Blake's own brother among them.

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