A star-studded film shot at a Kent seaside resort by an Oscar-winning director has been met with mixed reviews by critics, ahead of its general release next year.

Empire of Light, written and filmed by Sam Mendes and starring Olivia Colman and Colin Firth, is set in Margate where the old Dreamland cinema was transformed into the art deco-style Empire picture house.

Residents, who endured months of disruption but were also fascinated by the movie-making process and star-spotting, will have to wait until January to see it, while American audiences get it first in October.

Set in the Thatcherite early 1980s, it reveals the personal lives of those working at the run-down cinema against the political and social landscape at the time, including far-right movements like the National Front.

Now critics have begun been giving their verdict from select industry screenings - and some have given it the thumbs down.

While there is universal praise for Olivia Colman's performance, Tim Robey from the Telegraph has branded the film "a befuddling, bittersweet nostalaga trip' and awards it just two out of five stars.

David Ehrlich from IndieWire says it's "scattershot and moribund".

"Mendes’ rear-projected view of the modern world is still too clumsy and stilted to offer any heartbreaking insights of its own," he adds.

He gives praise, though, for the "breakthrough" performance of Michael Ward.

"A frustratingly uneven and often meandering period drama..."

For Sheri Lindon of the Hollywood Reporter, it's Colman's acting that is the movie's greatest strength.

"Nothing in the film has a fraction of the dramatic impact of the emotional roller-coaster Colman’s performance embodies," she says.

Neil Smith of Total Film also praises Colman's performance which he says is the best thing about the movie and could earn her even more awards.

But giving it three stars, he adds: "As terrific as Colman is, however, the film around her has a schematic and engineered quality".

Tomris Laffly from The Wrap calls it a "a frustratingly uneven and often meandering period drama". She adds: "For a movie that’s supposed to be a love letter to cinema, among other things, it’s surprising how little the magic of movies genuinely registers."

But Peter Bradshaw from the Guardian awards it four stars and calls it "a poignant, wonderfully-acted drama about love, life and films".

"Empire of Light is a sweet, heartfelt, humane movie, which doesn’t shy away from the brutality and the racism that was happening in the streets outside the cinema," he adds.

And Peter Debruge of Variety recommends it to film fans, calling it "an ode to movies on the big screen".

"In the era when content is king, Sam Mendes still believes in moving pictures and Empire of Light is the proof," he says

A teaser trailer to the movie was released last month and get its first screening at the BFI London Film Festival on October 12 and goes on general release on January 13.

When filming started in February, Marine Terrace was strewn with fake snow and hung with festoon lights between Nayland Rock and the Turner Contemporary, turning it into a picture postcard.

A 20,000 sq ft sound stage was installed at Dreamland for the three-month shot, while the main sands and a host of surrounding roads were also used for scenes.

The production is also credited with providing a £4 million boost to the economy in the town.