Rating:
Director: Alan Taylor
Producer: Uberto Pasolini
Writer: Alan Taylor and Kevin Molony
Director of Photography: Alessio Gelsini Torresi
Cast: Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle, Tim McInnerny, Tom Watson
| THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES Rating: Director: Alan Taylor Producer: Uberto Pasolini Writer: Alan Taylor and Kevin Molony Director of Photography: Alessio Gelsini Torresi Cast: Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle, Tim McInnerny, Tom Watson |
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Review by: Warren
Curry
6/17/02
Alan Taylor's (Palookaville) latest film takes a few liberties with history, albeit in a fun, good-natured sort of way. Adapted from Simon Leys' novel The Death of Napoleon, The Emperor's New Clothes depicts a decidedly different ending to Napoleon Bonaparte's life after he lost power in France and was exiled to the island of St. Helena. According to the history books, he lived out his final days as a humbled, suffering man, but if you were to believe the events of this film, you would see that, perhaps, popular history has made fools of us all. Yet this film isn't trying to re-write history -- it's just attempting to tell an amusing, witty tale, and for the most part it succeeds.
The film imagines that the Napoleon who spent his last years on St. Helena was actually an impostor named Eugene (Ian Holm), while the real Napoleon (once again, Ian Holm) made a daring escape back to France, re-entering society as a commoner, and trying to reclaim his lofty position of power. The impostor is trained by Napoleon's staff to mimic the mannerisms of the real ex-emperor, but the initial transition is difficult for this rough-around-the-edges look-alike. Although a fish out of water, Eugene quickly warms up to the special treatment he receives and is more than pleased to continue the ruse. Eugene, who upon command was supposed to reveal the fact that he is an impostor -- in hopes of getting the people of France to once again rally around Napoleon -- now wants no part of the original plan.
The real Napoleon arrives successfully in Paris, and for the first time ever is forced to confront life as an ordinary person. He falls in love with a poor fruits and vegetables vendor (Iben Hjeile), and takes it upon himself to help make her business strong and profitable. As the relationship progresses, Napoleon realizes that the one element missing from his previous life of power is also the most important one -- love.
Holm is asked to do double duty here and pulls off both roles splendidly. He is a fantastic screen presence, and an actor of such tremendous gifts that it's nearly impossible for me to imagine him delivering anything less than a great performance. Iben Hjeile, so horribly miscast in High Fidelity, also turns in a winning performance, which easily garners our sympathies from the very first moment we meet her.
The film does tend to feel somewhat bogged down by Taylor's sluggish pacing. It seems the director could have done more to make the material come to life (either by being a bit more irreverent or slightly more serious), but wasn't interested in taking the risks that might have made this movie soar to greater heights. I suppose that tackling the premise of this film may be a risk in and of itself, so I can't really find fault with Taylor for playing it so close to the vest. The director is, however, usually able to play the right notes here -- the film's funny when it needs to be and dramatic in enough spots to give it gravity.
The Emperor's New Clothes may not be required viewing, but as an alternative
to typical summer movie product, it's worthy of a recommendation.
While it could've been much more, the end result is still pleasantly
intriguing.
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