The Emperor's Club Review
by Rose 'Bams' Cooper (bams AT 3blackchicks DOT com)November 25th, 2002
'3BlackChicks Review...'
THE EMPEROR'S CLUB (2002)
Rated PG-13; running time 109 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures
Genre: Drama
Seen at: Celebration Cinema (Lansing, Michigan)
Official site: http://www.theemperorsclub.com/
IMDB site: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0283530
Written by: Neil Tolkin (based on the short story by Ethan Canin) Directed by: Michael Hoffman
Cast: Kevin Kline, Emile Hirsch, Jesse Eisenberg, Paul Franklin Dano, Rishi Mehta, Edward Herrmann, Rob Morrow, Harris Yulin, Embeth Davidtz
Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2002
Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/2002reviews/bamsemperors.html
THE EMPEROR'S CLUB proves once again that a dimwitted son of a politician can lie and cheat his way through life, take advantage of connections with his father and brother, become President, and be rightfully called a moron by a Canadian official.
Oops; wrong corrupt political family.
THE STORY (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**)
Professor William Hundert (Kevin Kline), a retired teacher of Greek and Roman history at St. Benedict's Academy For Boys, is invited to a breakfast in his honor. He spends the time before the breakfast, flashing back to the days in 1976 when he taught the sons of captains of industry, politics, law, and higher education (you know: Children Of The Sick And Shameless), about the great Greeks and Romans of history. Hundert claims to live by the saying "A man's character is his fate", though his questionable relationship with the very married Elizabeth (Embeth Davidtz), and his blind spots as concerned his protege James Ellerby (Rob Morrow) and boss Headmaster Woodbridge (Edward Herrmann), make one wonder about the makeup of Hundert's "character".
Looking back at those days, Hundert remembers one particular class that included young Louis Masoody (Jesse Eisenberg), Deepak Mehta (Rishi Mehta), and Martin Blythe (Paul Franklin Dano), the last of whom was the son of a former famous St. Benedict's student. Impressionable as Hundert's students were, he was able to keep them in line with what he considered were fascinating tales of great historical figures...until the storm that was Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch) rolled in. Sedgewick not only made jest of Hundert's love for history, he also disrupted Hundert's classes and encourage his fellow students to act up. After Hundert paid a brief visit to Bell's Senator father (Harris Yulin), Sedgewick inexplicably seemed to get his mind right and actually studied hard enough to compete in the Mr. Julius Caesar history contest. But wouldn't ya know it: he somehow found a way to disrupt that, too - in ways that impacted on Hundert even 25 years later.
THE UPSHOT
I find myself amazed at the nads this movie's cheerleaders have to be able to say things like "In everyone's life there's that one person who makes all the difference", "Inspiring...life-affirming", ad nauseam, with a straight face. Maybe those theaters In Selected Cities received a different print of the film than the ones shown in Podunkville, because I just did not see anything like the Heartwarming Story this was made out to be. No, what I saw was a bunch of ne'er do well brats and sycophants, and a lying hypocrite of a teacher, played up to be the New Millennium Mr. Chips - and falling well short of the mark.
I kept waiting for the "based on a true story" tag to pop up that would explain the clumsy, lazy way this movie was written. Seeing none, I guessed that writer Neil Tolkin and director Michael Hoffman took the audience for sentimental fools; why else would they hoist this petard on us? C'mon; a teacher who, from one side of his mouth, speaks of such lofty Greco-Roman goals as Character, Virtue, and Integrity, yet has the audacity to tsk tsk his spoiled, bratty student for being a manipulative, hypocritical cheat - just like good old teach'? What, are we supposed to *root* for Hundert and his cowardly actions, or Learn Something from yet another Rich White Boy getting over on his daddy's purse strings? And let's not even get into the silly attempt at a love story between the younger Hundert and Elizabeth. Too bad that mess wasn't left on the cutting floor.
I do not care in the least that Kevin Kline is a good actor caught up in Yet Another bad film; the whole Wholesome Values campaign that's running the gauntlet for this movie, sickens me (though, considering the poor little rich boys this movie is about, it shouldn't shock me. It's true what they say: the Rich are not like you and I). This overlong, story- and logic-weak movie would've been laughable...if I could've stayed awake long enough to have laughed. Put Hundert and his "we just need a swift kick in the ass" students in Public School 101, and you'd have a vastly different story. "Feel good movie of the year?" Puhleeze. Render unto me a break.
But I gotta admit, it was a kick to see a Julius Caesar Of Color.
BAMMER'S BOTTOM LINE
I will fess up to being hard on this movie; had it only bored me to tears, it would've easily deserved the yellowlight ranking I had originally decided on giving it. But like too many movies lately, it went that step further and pissed me off, earning it a demerit for not saying what it meant, and not meaning what it said. Time to send these Emperors off to detention.
THE EMPEROR'S CLUB rating: flashing redlight
Rose "Bams" Cooper
Webchick and Editor,
3BlackChicks Review
Entertainment Reviews With Flava!
Copyright Rose Cooper, 2002
EMAIL: [email protected]
http://www.3blackchicks.com/
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