Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Kline, Rob Morrow, Roger Rees, Embeth Davidtz, Emile Hirsch, Jessie Eisenberg
Synopsis: Based on a short story by Ethan Canin.
This sounds like it should be a good heavy drama...after all, Kline rarely (I said, rarely) picks bad projects and this seems to be tailored for him.
Kevin Kline stars as Arthur Hundert, a dedicated and inspiring Classics professor who has devoted his life to teaching at an elite boys' prep school. When a new student, Sedgewick Bell (Hirsch), the headstrong son of a powerful senator, joins his class, Mr. Hundert's life is inexorably altered. It is a clash of wills and personalities as these two people seemingly battle for the hearts and souls of the other students at St. Benedictus. Spanning 20 years, the story resumes when Bell, now a powerful and influential businessman, brings the retired professor back into his life and world. At a reunion of his students, Hundert is faced with the fear that he may have failed the most important challenge of his life - to have been a great teacher.
|
Prices listed are subject to change.
|
Title
|
Amazon | Amazon.CA | DVD Empire |
| The Emperor's Club (2002) (Widescreen) | | | | | The Emperor's Club Soundtrack | | NA | NA | | The Emperor's Club (2002) (Fullscreen) | | | |
|
The Emperor's Club Review
|
|
|
Basically you should see this film if you like Kevin Kline. He gives, with his 9 times out of ten batting record, another great performance...but also 9 times out of 10, the movie fails to live up to Kline's talent.
Perhaps it stems from the curse of the subject matter that when we as an audience have come to expect a inspirational-type movie when it comes to teaching. Reaching a troublesome student, helping them see life in more than one tunnel vision way. The Emperor's Club does decide to go a different route and uses the cyclical events of history with the 'present' events of the film to drive home a point that isn't enjoyable to have driven home. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.
However, I still enjoyed watching the film overall, if only, again, for Kline. You could argue that this is a showboat role, an Oscar type piece and I would be stretching hard to argue with you but that doesn't alter the fact that the performance is excellent. Nor does the excellence of the performance hide the fact that the script doesn't live up to the performer. So where are we in the final scheme of things? Slightly disappointed and giving the film two stars for Kline's performance and another star for the attempt but not much more. Three stars out of 5.
Copyright© DVDwolf.com
Copyright© Written By: Rob Paul
Feel the need to spout off? Voice your opinion on the DVDwolf Forum!
|
