Monsieur N.

The timeless mystery surrounding the death of Napoleon Bonaparte lies at the heart of Monsieur N., a somewhat turgid but fascinating drama that speculates on the possibility that the great French general, while exiled on the island of St. Helena under British rule, plotted his own escape and disappeared into obscurity. The same story was given a somewhat different, more entertaining treatment in the 2001 British film The Emperor's New Clothes, but this sumptuous French production takes a more serious approach, with a back-and-forth timeline that presents the final years of Bonaparte as an unsolved puzzle, viewed through the eyes of a British aide-de-camp named Heathcote (Jay Rodan) who's been assigned to shadow Bonaparte's every move. As played by Philippe Torreton, Napoleon is a mercurial, fiercely intelligent prisoner under the watchful eye of Hudson Lowe (Richard E. Grant), the royal appointee assigned to command St. Helena and oversee Bonaparte's well-appointed captivity. Monsieur N. is occasionally slow and talky, but it's also a feast for the eyes, with impeccable attention to period detail, from the authentic settings on St. Helena to the flawless costumes, production design, and cinematography. An intriguing "what-if?" tale that history buffs will certainly relish, this is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include text interviews with director Antoine de Caunes and star Philippe Torreton, a photo gallery, a “Legend of Napoleon” text segment, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a solid film.] (J. Shannon)