Hollywood loves making movies about movies, and this year is no exception, from the subplot about a production company shooting a film called “The Gambler” in “Downton Abbey: A New Era” to the porn-movie-within-the-horror-movie in “X” to Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans” to the upcoming Golden Age epic “Babylon” to Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light,” which takes place in and around an English coastal cinema in the early 1980s.

With the versatile and greatly talented Mendes (“American Beauty,” “Road to Perdition,” “Skyfall”) writing and directing, and a first-tier cast featuring Academy Award winners Olivia Colman and Colin Firth, along with the great character actor Toby Jones and rising star Micheal Ward, not to mention the gorgeous visuals from legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, “Empire of Light” has all the trappings of a prestige, awards-bait film (especially given how much the movie business loves to REWARD movies about movies), but this is one of the most disappointing efforts of the year. The material is relentlessly dour, the primary relationship feels contrived and implausible, and a couple of major developments late in the film come across as forced and heavy-handed.

For all its obvious love of movies and of the shared experience of watching movies, “Empire of Light” is a decidedly downbeat effort that tries to say too much and ultimately winds up saying very little.

Colman’s Hilary is the polite and dutiful but emotionally fragile assistant manager of the struggling and somewhat rundown (but still beautiful), two-screen Empire Cinema, where she is frequently summoned by her boss, Mr. Ellis (Colin Firth) to his office to discuss some matter or another — but what the married Mr. Ellis really wants is another quick and tawdry sexual encounter with Hilary that ends with Mr. Ellis feeling sated and Hilary looking ashamed. It’s the saddest “affair” you’ve ever seen.

As Hilary’s younger colleagues (who respect and like her) talk of going out and getting into trouble and enjoying the world, we get the distinct sense Hilary has no life outside of work, and we’re not wrong. (Cue the scenes of Hilary dining alone in a restaurant, looking sad in the bath, staring out the window.) However, Hilary’s spirits brighten considerably with the arrival of the college-age Stephen (Micheal Ward), especially when they bond after Hillary shows Stephen the now-shuttered upstairs wing of the theater, and Stephen fashions a makeshift sling for a bird with a broken wing. (Ooh, it’s almost like a metaphor telling us Stephen might be able to heal Hilary’s broken spirit. Or something.)

A romance blossoms between the white, middle-aged Hilary and the Black, 20ish Stephen, both of whom feel like outcasts. (Simply walking home can be dangerous for Stephen, as he’s often harassed by racist skinheads.) At first, all seems light and lovely, but gradually, Stephen begins to realize the depths of Hilary’s mental illness, which manifests itself in shocking bursts of anger and long absences of work.

Hilary is not well, and she’s getting worse, and it all explodes on the night of a regional gala premiere of “Chariots of Fire,” which was supposed to be a showcase moment for the Empire Theater but instead turns into an unmitigated disaster. This scene affords the brilliant Olivia Colman one of several opportunities to deliver huge, Shakespearean, thundering monologues, as Hilary rails against the male patriarchy and how she’s been deceived and hurt by men her entire life — and while there’s no denying the power of Colman’s performance, so much of the dialogue she delivers feels overwritten and “speech-y.”

If DeMar DeRozan could pinpoint the spark the Bulls need to turn things around, he would bottle it up and dole it out to his teammates.

But this isn’t “Space Jam,” and getting the season back on track isn’t as simple as passing around a water bottle marked “Michael’s secret stuff.” Ahead of Wednesday night’s 115-111 win against the Wizards — who, like the Bulls, entered on a three-game losing streak — DeRozan said it could be anything that triggers a turnaround.

“It’s all about timing,” he said. “Sometimes you have to go through the necessary things to find a different side of you as a team.”

What the Bulls have needed is more consistency from their three stars, better three-point shooting and some change. On Wednesday, their Big Three came up big late. DeRozan finished with 27 points, and Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic each had 25. These three combined for 33 of the Bulls’ 35 fourth-quarter points.

Coach Billy Donovan began the process of introducing change with the lineup after the Bulls’ 19-point loss to the Suns last week, moving Alex Caruso into the starting five and Ayo Dosunmu to the bench.

Caruso had a full stat line with five points, nine assists, four rebounds and a season-high-tying four steals. The Bulls finished with 29 assists on 45 field goals.

“He’s always been a tremendous passer and a playmaker,” Donovan said. “He’s such an unselfish player. He gets much more enjoyment out of other aspects of the game than scoring.”

The changes, combined with performances from their stars worthy of their reputation, contributed to the Bulls’ win, but it wasn’t always pretty and doesn’t signal a turnaround. That’s going to take more wining, and their schedule presents the opportunity for it with three of their next four games at home.

They got it done down the stretch against the Wizards, but there’s plenty to correct. Defensively, the Bulls struggled to recover in the post, giving up 28 points to Kristaps Porzingis and 60 total in the paint.

They went into the fourth quarter trailing by one. Both teams traded threes in the final five minutes. First, it was LaVine with three consecutive three-point baskets that were answered by threes from Kyle Kuzma and Monte Morris.

Then, Vucevic hit from the corner, putting the Bulls back in front by one.

They led by six with a minute to play but allowed the Wizards to pull within two in the final seconds. With 1.9 seconds left, LaVine secured the win sinking two free throws and making it a two-possession game.

The victory could be the beginning of a turnaround or just another example of how consistently inconsistent the Bulls have been all season.

It isn’t going to take anything special for this team to get hot. It will take more performances like Wednesday night’s from DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic.

“[We have to] keep doing what we just did,” LaVine said. “Instead of looking forward and saying we have to win this many games, win each day. That’s the goal.”

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If DeMar DeRozan could pinpoint the spark the Bulls need to turn things around, he would bottle it up and dole it out to his teammates.

But this isn’t “Space Jam,” and getting the season back on track isn’t as simple as passing around a water bottle marked “Michael’s secret stuff.” Ahead of Wednesday night’s 115-111 win against the Wizards — who, like the Bulls, entered on a three-game losing streak — DeRozan said it could be anything that triggers a turnaround.

“It’s all about timing,” he said. “Sometimes you have to go through the necessary things to find a different side of you as a team.”

What the Bulls have needed is more consistency from their three stars, better three-point shooting and some change. On Wednesday, their Big Three came up big late. DeRozan finished with 27 points, and Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic each had 25. These three combined for 33 of the Bulls’ 35 fourth-quarter points.

Coach Billy Donovan began the process of introducing change with the lineup after the Bulls’ 19-point loss to the Suns last week, moving Alex Caruso into the starting five and Ayo Dosunmu to the bench.

Caruso had a full stat line with five points, nine assists, four rebounds and a season-high-tying four steals. The Bulls finished with 29 assists on 45 field goals.

“He’s always been a tremendous passer and a playmaker,” Donovan said. “He’s such an unselfish player. He gets much more enjoyment out of other aspects of the game than scoring.”

The changes, combined with performances from their stars worthy of their reputation, contributed to the Bulls’ win, but it wasn’t always pretty and doesn’t signal a turnaround. That’s going to take more wining, and their schedule presents the opportunity for it with three of their next four games at home.

They got it done down the stretch against the Wizards, but there’s plenty to correct. Defensively, the Bulls struggled to recover in the post, giving up 28 points to Kristaps Porzingis and 60 total in the paint.

They went into the fourth quarter trailing by one. Both teams traded threes in the final five minutes. First, it was LaVine with three consecutive three-point baskets that were answered by threes from Kyle Kuzma and Monte Morris.

Then, Vucevic hit from the corner, putting the Bulls back in front by one.

They led by six with a minute to play but allowed the Wizards to pull within two in the final seconds. With 1.9 seconds left, LaVine secured the win sinking two free throws and making it a two-possession game.

The victory could be the beginning of a turnaround or just another example of how consistently inconsistent the Bulls have been all season.

It isn’t going to take anything special for this team to get hot. It will take more performances like Wednesday night’s from DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic.

“[We have to] keep doing what we just did,” LaVine said. “Instead of looking forward and saying we have to win this many games, win each day. That’s the goal.”

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A man was wounded in an officer-involved shooting Wednesday evening in West Pullman on the Far South Side, according to officials.

The incident occurred about 5:35 p.m. in the 100 block of West 126th Place, according to Chicago Fire Department officials.

The man, 52, suffered a gunshot wound to the hand and was taken into custody, authorities said.

He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital, where he was listed in good condition, fire officials said.

On the same block, a 47-year-old man was shot in the buttocks, fire officials said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was also in good condition.

No further information was immediately available.

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Josh Aniceto streaked down the court in the final seconds on Wednesday in Bolingbrook. He was a kid on a mission.

“I was just trying to get a stop,” Aniceto said.

The junior guard got a steal, poking the ball loose from a Waubonsie Valley player just past half court. Aniceto found junior Kyan Berry-Johnson on the other side of the court and he laid it in to give No. 13 Bolingbrook a 72-69 comeback win against the Warriors.

Berry-Johnson scored eight points in the final 1:43 to key the comeback. The junior is playing his first varsity basketball this year but has been a star wide receiver for the Raiders for several seasons already.

“Football helped me a lot,” Berry-Johnson, who will be a football player in college, said. “I’m well-conditioned and I know how to play with a lot of guys. And I’m used to the pressure because of football.”

Berry-Johnson finished with 13 points. Junior DJ Strong scored 14 and Mekhi Cooper led Bolingbrook (5-1) with 22 points.

“He provides a level of toughness and intangibles for us,” Raiders coach Rob Brost said. “He’s getting minutes now that we have three guys out and I’m proud of him. We’re lucky he put the pads down for awhile to pick up a basketball.”

Bolingbrook is missing 6-10 Donaven Younger, 6-8 Aries Hull and 6-4 Torrion Harris due to injury.

“We just want to get better, no excuses,” Brost said. “I don’t know if we are ever going to be completely healthy but when we get a little more healthy we will be a lot better.”

Waubonsie Valley (6-1) led for the majority of the second half and had its biggest lead of the game at 61-52 after a free throw by senior Shoi Rathi with 5:38 left to play.

“The fourth quarter defense with our press won it for us,” Aniceto said. “We upped the tempo.”

The Warriors had a chance to tie at the end, pulling off a beautiful play in the final three seconds: the inbounder passed to the free throw line who kicked it into the corner for an open look. But the shot didn’t fall.

Rathi led Waubonsie Valley with 15 points and Eric Chtilianov added 13 points. Sophomore guard Tyreek Coleman was an eye-opener, finishing with 10 points and displaying a solid all-around game.

Watch the final minute of Waubonsie Valley at Bolingbrook:

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The boys prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous ranking.

Class 4ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Kenwood (6) 5-0 96 T3

2. Moline (4) 4-1 78 2

3. Joliet West 6-2 70 1

4. Young 3-1 67 5

5. Brother Rice 8-0 49 7

6. Rolling Meadows 8-0 47 6

7. St. Rita 3-3 39 T3

8. Benet 7-0 28 T10

9. Quincy 5-0 24 8

10. Glenbrook North 6-0 15 NR

Others receiving votes: Evanston 14. Belleville East 6. Lyons 5. New Trier 3. Barrington 3. Bolingbrook 3. Curie 2. Rockford Auburn 1.

Class 3ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Simeon (6) 4-0 96 2

2. Sacred Heart-Griffin (4) 4-0 87 1

3. Hillcrest 6-0 66 5

(tie) East St. Louis 5-0 66 3

5. Metamora 4-2 53 4

6. St. Ignatius 5-1 52 6

7. Decatur MacArthur 6-0 29 7

8. Lemont 7-0 23 NR

9. Rock Island 6-1 22 8

10. Marian Catholic 5-1 19 9

Others receiving votes: Hyde Park 13. Peoria 8. Mount Carmel 6. Lake Forest 2. Richwoods 2. Crystal Lake South 2. Centralia 2. Grayslake Central 1. Kankakee 1.

Class 2ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. DePaul Prep (6) 4-2 101 1

2. Fairbury Prairie Central (3) 6-0 98 2

3. Princeton (2) 8-0 84 3

4. Columbia 5-1 68 5

5. St. Joseph-Ogden 5-0 59 4

6. Perspectives-Leadership 6-1 52 6

7. Rockridge 4-1 36 7

8. Breese Central 6-0 29 9

9. Pinckneyville 5-0 20 8

10. Bloomington Central Catholic 5-2 17 NR

Others receiving votes: Teutopolis 11. Breese Mater Dei 10. Quincy Notre Dame 7. Clark 5. Massac County 4. Rockford Lutheran 2. Carmi White County 1. Normal University 1.

Class 1ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Augusta Southeastern (11) 7-0 110 1

2. New Berlin 7-0 96 4

3. Jacksonville Routt 5-1 83 2

4. Casey-Westfield 5-1 75 3

5. Scales Mound 7-0 49 10

6. Decatur Lutheran (LSA) 7-0 39 NR

7. Winchester-West Central 6-2 32 5

8. Marshall 2-3 28 NR

9. Yorkville Christian 1-5 27 9

10. Waterloo Gibault 3-2 23 NR

Others receiving votes: South Beloit 16. North Clay 6. East Dubuque 5. Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg 5. Farina South Central 2. Pecatonica 2. Camp Point Central 2. Ottawa Marquette 2. Madison 1. Aurora Christian 1. Tuscola 1.

Girls basketball

Class 4ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Hersey (3) 9-1 63 2

2. Benet (2) 5-2 62 1

3. Fremd (1) 9-0 60 4

4. Bolingbrook (1) 9-0 47 T6

5. Loyola 5-1 36 3

6. O’Fallon 7-1 30 T6

(tie) Kenwood 8-0 30 8

8. Normal 7-0 12 NR

9. Lyons 7-1 11 10

10. Geneva 6-2 9 9

Others receiving votes: Barrington 7. Lincoln-Way West 6. Stevenson 3. York 2. Naperville North 2. Libertyville 2. Hononegah 2. Alton 1.

Class 3ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Nazareth (7) 6-1 70 1

2. Carmel 7-1 61 2

3. Peoria Notre Dame 8-0 49 3

4. Washington 6-0 46 5

5. Montini 6-1 40 4

6. Lincoln 9-0 30 8

(tie) Deerfield 9-0 30 7

8. Peoria Central 7-2 24 3

9. Galesburg 8-1 19 NR

10. Geneseo 6-1 9 6

Others receiving votes: Marian Catholic 2. Highland 1. Hyde Park 1. Rochester 1. Rockford Boylan 1. Oak Forest 1.

Class 2ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Quincy Notre Dame (7) 8-1 79 1

2. Fieldcrest (1) 9-0 73 2

3. Stillman Valley 9-0 56 4

4. Butler 8-2 54 3

5. Byron 6-0 40 T6

6. Teutopolis 5-1 38 5

7. Princeton 7-0 37 T6

8. Paris 7-0 21 8

9. Winnebago 6-1 10 NR

10. Canton 6-4 7 10

Others receiving votes: Althoff Catholic 5. Arthur-Lovington-Hammond-Atwood 5. Monmouth-Roseville 4. Sherrard 3. Hamilton County 2. Tolono Unity 2. Staunton 1. Knoxville 1. Peotone 1. Pana 1.

Class 1ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Galena (6) 8-0 78 1

2. Okawville (2) 6-0 73 2

3. Neoga 9-0 58 T4

4. Mendon Unity 8-1 53 3

5. Havana 9-0 51 T4

6. Tuscola 8-0 44 6

7. Effingham St. Anthony 9-0 34 7

8. Christopher 8-0 18 T9

9. Brimfield 7-2 10 T9

10. Orangeville 6-1 9 8

Others receiving votes: Altamont 5. Waterloo Gibault 4. Morgan Park Academy 1. Brown County 1. Carrollton 1.

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When forwards Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou signed identical one-year, $3 million contracts with the Blackhawks in July, they knew roughly what they were getting into.

They’d seen the trades the Hawks had made, and they understood what the scorched-earth rebuild would likely mean in terms of on-ice team success.

But they also saw a general manager that wanted them, a roster with vacant top-six and power-play roles and an organization that still offers arguably best-in-the-NHL player accommodations and resources.

So far, their individual experiences have roughly matched what they expected and hoped for. In spite of the Hawks’ 7-14-4 record, which tied them with the Coyotes and Ducks for fewest wins in the league entering Wednesday, they’re glad they made the free-agency decisions they did.

“That was a no-brainer on my side,” Domi said Tuesday. “I knew what the situation was. I was dealt a hand in Columbus which was unfortunate, and it is what it is. I battled through that and now I have an opportunity to actually play hockey again. [I’m] just enjoying the moment.”

“I was fortunate enough to get this opportunity here,” Athanasiou said Sunday. “Obviously we had a stretch there where it wasn’t too fun, but at the start of the season we played some good hockey. Even in the stretches where we were losing quite a bit, there were some good things we were doing.”

Domi scoffed at the idea that he’s proving himself this season. Realistically he proved himself four years ago, when he tallied 72 points in 82 games for the Canadiens. But re-proving himself? That’s a more accurate description.

With 19 points through 25 games, Domi trails Patrick Kane by only one point for the Hawks’ scoring lead and is on pace to finish with 62 points this season, which would be — by far — the second-best of his career. He tallied just 24 and 39 points the last two years, but that was while receiving just 15:13 and 13:25 of ice time per game, respectively, from the Blue Jackets. His time-on-ice average is 18:35 this year.

“It’s a good match for both of us — for the team and for him at this point of his career,” coach Luke Richardson said Tuesday.

Added Domi: “Listen, if you’re going to get ice time, you better produce. It has been a minute [since I did], and I’m really enjoying it right now. I’ve got to work hard and find ways to be consistent. [I’m] trying to maximize everything we’re doing.”

Athanasiou, who has tallied nine points (including six goals) while averaging 16:06 of ice time through 25 games, hasn’t been quite as productive as Domi. But he’s still on pace for 30 points, which would also be the second-best season of his career. He has also generated 62 scoring chances, which trails Kane by only two for the team lead.

Most importantly, Athanasiou has re-proven his ability to stay healthy after injuries limited him to 28 appearances for the Kings last season. He admitted he doesn’t feel completely perfect health-wise — “I don’t think anyone ever feels 100%” — but he hasn’t missed a game yet.

The other part of understanding what they were getting into in Chicago is the trade likelihood. They’re both pending unrestricted free agents, in the primes of their careers, on a basement-dwelling team. All ingredients line up for trade-deadline flips to contenders for second- or third-round draft picks.

But the deadline remains nearly three months away. At the moment, that hasn’t crept far into their minds.

“I like the group here, I like the staff here and the organization has been unbelievable,” Athanasiou said. “You can’t really think about the business part. It’s [about playing] your game and letting the rest take care of itself.”

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SAN DIEGO – Crickets.

While many large market teams, including the Cubs on the other side of town, stirred a free-agent frenzy at the winter meetings, the Sox were very quiet.

Here’s what they accomplished at the winter meetings:

*Announced right-hander Mike Clevinger’s signing of a one-year, $12 million deal to round out their starting rotation on the eve of the meetings’ first full day, an acquisition that was made a week earlier.

*Selected right-hander Nick Avila in the Rule 5 Draft Wednesday. Avila, 25, is expected to pitch in the Sox bullpen in 2023.

And that was it for player news.

They did celebrate receiving the Bud Selig award for philanthropic excellence, an honor recognizing their Amateur City Elite (ACE) program. And special assistant to the general manager Marco Paddy was named international scout of the year.

That chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, vice president Ken Williams, vice president of community relations Christine O’Reilly, general manager Rick Hahn, manager Pedro Grifol and other Sox higher-ups were present for commissioner Rob Manfred’s announcement about the Selig Award underscored its significance for the Sox.

The club’s Amateur City Elite (ACE) program is a Sox treasure, a community resource providing educational and baseball opportunities for underserved Chicago youth.

“Really, I’m sincere when I say the best thing you can do when you own a sports franchise is do the things in the community,” Reinsdorf said Wednesday, speaking on the condition he address only the award and not issues pertaining to the team.

“It’s so much more important than winning a baseball game, which is good because we don’t win that many.”

The chairman grinned at his attempt at humor, and in hindsight might have edited out that line, knowing disgruntled fans aren’t smiling one little bit after an 81-81 season.

While big names for big prices went off the board on the free-agent market this week, Sox fans clamoring for roster improvements will have to wait because the Sox are watching and waiting for a less expensive free-agent and trade market to present themselves.

Assuming Cuban prospect Oscar Colas is the Opening Day right fielder, and indications are he’ll get every chance to win that spot in spring training, they need to fill left field and second base. Indications are they have no more than $15 million of wiggle room budgeted to play with for the 2023 roster.

“We continue to have conversations with clubs,” Hahn said Wednesday. “Not surprisingly this week [the industry] was a little more focused on the free agent market. Hopefully laid good groundwork for stuff to follow up on here in the coming days and once we get back to Chicago.

“But as we talked about from the start, and back at the GM meetings, if it was going to be more of a trade path, which was my instinct, some of the free agent things were going to have to resolve themselves before the trade opportunities really presented themselves. We’ll remain patient. And diligent.”

Hahn acknowledged that fan trust now has to be earned after last season’s flop.

“We’re still going to have to earn that faith,” he said. “And that’s only going to happen once we’re on the field and we’re showing what this team is about and what they’re capable of doing and in the end, winning ballgames.

“We’re not going to force anything now to perhaps have a short-term benefit that doesn’t carry over through the season and ideally into October. But I get. I get it.”

There’s still work to be done.

NOTE: Rule 5 pick Nick Avila can’t be optioned to the minor leagues in 2023 without being offered back to the Giants and stands a good chance to make the Opening Day roster, likely as a multi-innings reliever.

Recommended by pitching coach Ethan Katz who worked with him in the Giants’ system, Avila went 4-2 with a 1.14 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 58 strikeouts over 55 1/3 innings between High-A Eugene and Double-AA Richmond in the Giants system in 2022.

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