The Emperor's New Clothes

rust to be loyal, he befriends the recently widowed “Nicole” (Iben Hjejle) and her young son “Gerard” (Tom Watson). Her late husband was to have been one of his contacts, and when it transpires that his replacement on St. Helena has decided not to play ball any longer, the emperor’s chances of regaining his throne look forlorn. Can he, though, in the face of the increasingly jealous hostility of “Dr. Lambert” (Tim McInnerny) make a new relationship with “Nicole” and perhaps make an whole new life for himself? Can he forget that he was who he was, or will it frustrate and haunt him to he grave? Sir Ian delivers quite a touching performance here, speculating on just what might have happened if Napoleon had ever managed to secret himself from his luxurious prison. He learns to appreciate life from the perspective of the ordinary, war-weary, population who cared not for grand ambitions. They just wanted a roof over their heads and food on the table for their families. The burgeoning romance is delicately developed and there’s a good rapport between man and woman and also man and boy, too. There has been plenty of attention paid to the detail of the film and there is the odd bit of comedy interspersed through this story of longing. Not really for history buffs, not romantic ones either - but it’s an enjoyable piece of postulation from an an actor who knew his craft.