History, of course, records that after Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat at Waterloo, the distinguished French general and pompous self-declared emperor died in exile on the island of St. Helena under British guard in 1821. But this latest gem of the emerging historical "what if" genre (see Shakespeare In Love, The Cat's Meow, Dick) imagines the diminutive duce escaping back to Paris with grandiose plans to reclaim the throne, only to get waylaid into a more humble life as a middle-class fruit merchant. As Napoleon unwillingly settles into a life incognito, the peasant look-alike who takes his place in luxurious island exile realizes that if he never admits he's not Napoleon (as per the escaped emperor's original plan), he can live quite the posh life for the remainder of his days. Driven by a fantastic dual performance from Ian Holm as both Napoleon and his opportunistic doppelganger, The Emperor's New Clothes is funny, insightful, and a delightful lark for history buffs (without actually requiring much prerequisite knowledge). Recommended. (R. Blackwelder)
The Emperor's New Clothes
Paramount, 107 min., PG, VHS: $95.99, DVD: $29.99, Dec. 10 Volume 17, Issue 6
The Emperor's New Clothes
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