THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2002 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
In THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, by director Alan Taylor (PALOOKAVILLE), a man known as Eugene Lenormand has delusions of grandeur, thinking he's Napoleon Bonaparte. Actually, he really is Napoleon, something that he has had trouble convincing anyone of since he swapped places in Elba with the real Eugene Lenormand, a commoner among commoners. Ian Holm, in a delightful, pixyish performance, plays both parts. Kids will remember him as Bilbo Baggins from THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and adults will think of him in that role as well as in over a hundred others. Personally, I don't think Holm was ever better than he was in THE SWEET HEREAFTER.
In a major missed comedic opportunity, we spend little time with the real Eugene as he lives the high life of an emperor in exile. Most of the time, we're in Paris with the real Napoleon who hopes to reveal his true identity at the right time and overthrow the king. In the meantime, he hooks up with a lovely melon seller named Pumpkin (Iben Hjejle, John Cusack's main girlfriend in HIGH FIDELITY), whom he tries to help succeed in business. With military-like precision and inspiration, he lectures his troops, I mean melon sellers, on how to attack the city. "Remember, we conquer, or we perish," he tells them as he points out the best selling routes on a map of Paris.
The sumptuous picture features drop-dead gorgeous sunrises and beautiful blowing mist. The sets are handsome, and the filming is sublime. Yet, for all the production's technical prowess, the look always feels completely authentic and never showy. The visuals are accompanied by stirring but never overwhelming music.
Although the film is an absolute sweetheart, I worry about its intended audience. Its story and its PG rating might make it appear that it is intended for a younger audience. But its slow pacing and the dryness of its humor mean that it will have little appeal for most kids. Since the film is opening mainly in art houses, will adults, incorrectly, write it off as merely a kids' movie? Let's hope not since it is a real charmer.
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES runs 1:37. It is rated PG for "brief language" and would be acceptable for kids of all ages.
My son Jeffrey, age 13, gave it just one *. He found nothing in the movie to interest him.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, June 28, 2002. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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