“I don’t want realism, I want magic“.
Based on a true story written by Piers Ashworth and directed by Sara Sugarman, Save the Cinema is about Liz Evans who was a hairdresser in Carmarthen in Wales. She began a campaign in 1993 to save her local, the Lyric Cinema, from closing. She, alongside a local councillor and members of the town, attempted to enlist the help of American director Steven Spielberg by procuring Jurassic Park and creating a special premiere for it and ultimately allowing the Lyric to remain open to the public.
Funny and heartwarming, this film is about community spirit, a love for one’s country, passion and most importantly to follow your heart for things that matter – the arts being one of them. With great casting and an even better (and absolutely stunning location), Save the Cinema brings you hope and light at the end of the tunnel. It makes you appreciate the sense of community. What’s fascinating is seeing the measures Liz (played by Samantha Morton) and her family went to to save that particular building that was and is to this day, an established pillar of the community.
With the likes of Jonathan Pryce, Tom Felton, Adeel Akhtar, Susan Wokoma, Rhod Gilbert, Erin Richards and Owain Yeoman featuring, this star-studded cast brings familiarity and a wholesome feel to the film. It’ll have you laughing one minute and possibly shedding a few tears the next. It’s beautiful and inspiring. For the non-welsh actors amongst the pile, their accents are pretty impressive, so kudos to them for trying to pull it off. Some, however, are better than others.
Save the Cinema is a fun, outgoing and heartwarming film that is a must see for any film and theatre lovers out there. It encourages you to stick with your gut, be part of a community that loves something equally as yourself, and absolutely follow your heart.
The Lyric was turned into a cinema in 1935 and has stayed that way ever since.
Save the Cinema is out, appropriately, in cinemas and on Sky Cinema from today.
