Empire of Light (2022)

Director Sam Mendes had strayed pretty far from his American Beauty (1999) roots by 2022. Fresh off of two Bond films and the war flick 1917 (2019), Sam returned to more slow and thoughtful fare with the romantic drama Empire of Light (2022). Said to be inspired by Sam's life, the film takes place in the seaside town of Margate, Kent England during the 1980's. Olivia Coleman stars as Hilary Small, a lonely, bipolar woman who manages a movie theater and finds respite from her lonely life only by watching the movies her theater plays. When a young black man named Stephen (Micheal Ward) is hired to work at the theater, he and Hilary bond over their love of cinema and begin a clandestine affair. Margate isn't too fond of the idea of biracial relations, so there are all sorts of skinhead problems for Stephen, but what really puts the kabosh on their lovemaking is when Stephen admits he's in love with a woman named Ruby (Crystal Clarke) who works with his mom at the local hospital. When Olivia's jealousy boils over and leads to her ruining the big Chariots of Fire (1981) premiere, Olivia will have to try and accept that their love might not have been meant to last forever, but she still got plenty out of it! In the metaphorical sense she got companionship, acceptance, and all that crap. But in the physical sense she got all sorts of awesome action with a fine black man! At one point in the movie, Stephen and Olivia end up skinnydipping at the beach. We get to see Michael Ward's buns as he runs across the sand. His butt is so tight you could crack a walnut between those cheeks. Mr. Man would rather bust a different kind of nut, though! If you're light in the loafers, you'll be singing the praises of skinema watching Empire of Light!