Introducing City of Ember

10 October 2008

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This weeks sees the release of City of Ember, based on the novel by Jeanne Duprau and stars Saoirse Ronan, Toby Jones, Bill Murray and Tim Robbins, a mixed bag of youth and experience.

For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing... and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker.

Now, two teenagers in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, and help the citizens escape before the lights go out forever.

Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) and Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway)

Lina is a twelve year old inhabitant of Ember an orphan who lives and cares for her aging and forgetful grandmother, and her baby sister Poppy.

Lina is confronting the next stage of her life a rite of passage for all graduates it's Assignment Day, the day on which the Mayor himself will stand before the graduating students as they choose, by lottery, how they will spend their lives working for their society.

Most of all Lina wants to be a messenger and is disappointed when she is assigned to the Pipeworks that run under the city.

Doon is also twelve and was given the job as a messenger, a role he offers to swap with Lina and a friends hip begins to blossom.

One day while at home Lina discovers an old metal box in a closet, a discovery that delights her grandmother even though she can't remember why. Inside she discovers cryptic papers.

Unable to piece the papers together, but sure that they are important, Lina resolves to decipher their meaning and enlists Doon's help.

As blackouts in the City become more frequent, Lina and Doon realize that the information inside that box could lead to the salvation of their City and their fellow citizens. Now racing against the clock, the two follow the clues, cleverly manoeuvring around corrupt politicians.

Mayor Cole - Bill Murray

Presiding over this makeshift community is Mayor Cole who continues to turn a blind eye to the imminent demise of the City of Ember.

The Mayor of the city was the original keeper of the metal box who passes down to the man that succeeds him into office. Although they do not know what is in the box they keep it safe, but the box became lost and forgotten.

On the last day of school term, the Mayor presides over the assignment of jobs for the children. Led astray by his own greed and gluttony, the Mayor has a secret that Lina and Doon must uncover in their quest to save the City.

Loris Harrow

Doon's father who is doing his best for his child no matter what. He is also a brilliant inventor who uses his good standing amongst the citizens of Ember to slowly gather secrets of the city.

He also encourages his son to think about things that other people in the city do not want to think about and he may know more about the secrets in the box than he first lets on.