The Emperor's Club by Boo Allen ***75

Movie Review by SHANNON HARVEY

Mar 03

Rating Three and a half stars At St Benedictus School for 5 years an exclusive prep school where students are the children of rich parents and teachers are expected to mould them into the leaders of tomorrow. William Hundert (Kevin Kline) is a passionate, principled and slightly crusty professor of the classics.

He teaches Roman history as a model for modern democracy, challenging them with the edict "A man's character is his fate. How will history remember you?" He even hosts the Mr Julius Caesar contest, an annual quiz in which his three best students compete for the honour of St Benedictus's biggest egghead

Welcome to The Emperor's Club close affiliate to the Dead Poet's Society and Mr Holland's Opus where students arrive in limousines and wear ties to class.

Into Mr Hundert's disciplined class comes Sedgewick Bell (young Leonardo DiCaprio look alike Emile Hirsch), the son of a high-profile politician, who cares for neither the classics, nor school rules nor Hundert's teachings. He's a back-chatting, smart-alec brat who drinks, smokes and reads nudie magazines while his room-mates - the usual

array of hormonal geeks and goofs - study the Roman empire. They, of course, instantly idolise him. After a rocky start Hundert's intellectual challenges inspire Bell to apply himself and the lad goes from Ds to As.

When the final exam is writter he finishes fourth in the class rankings. In his eagerness to polisn the rotten apple Hundert improves Bell's grade and makes him a finalist in the Julius Caesar quiz.

It's a decision Hundert will regret as the one blemish on his record. Redemption is possible 25 years later when Bell (Harris Yulin) - now one of America's most powerful corporate leaders - reunites Hundert with his class and calls for a rematch to the quiz.

Contemplative, carefully crafted and just a little bitter, The Emperor's Club seems as much a clone of Dead Poet's Society as last week's Antwone Fisher was a clone of Good. Will Hunting It simply reverses roles, so instead of Robin Williams as a febellious teacher trying to transform the minds of his conformist students, Kevin Kline is a conformist teacher trying to transform his one rebellious student.

It's a similarly sentimental portrait of a great teacher as in Dead Poet's and Mr Holland's Opus in addressing the formation of a man's character But the film falters on a most basic level. It gives the facade that Bell is one bad apple among his future leaders' classmates.

In reality America's corporate political and industrial culture is rotten to the core Just think of what we know about the disastrous corporate collapses of companies such as Enron

However, Kevin Kline - as usual - is excellent. He's a commanding actor who shines in roles that blend pathos with humour, and although he's not given enough comic touches here, his performance is affecting We care for him, not because he's perfect, but because like Bell, his character is sadly flawed.

History, therefore, won't remember Hundert, but audiences will remember The Emperor's Club

quot;The Emperor's Club" by Boo Allen ***75

Rated PG-13. 109 minutes

Kevin Kline stars in "The Emperor's Club," the latest movie-going tribute to nature's noblest profession. In the prestigious tradition of Mr Chips, Miss Jean Brodie, and Mr. Holland, this often somber film pays a deserving homage to every teacher who has influenced a single student.

In a masterly performance. Kline's William Hundert follows in the cinematic footsteps laid down by Glenn Ford's noble warrior of "Blackboard Jungle," to Sidney Poitiers dignified headmaster of "To Sir With Love," to Robin Williams' free-thinking'-proctor of "Dead Poets' Society "

The well-stocked movie canon of teacher-tributes finds "Emperor" a welcome addition, even if not breaking much new ground Because, in accordance with most films celebrating a great teacher, "The Emperor's Club" follows a formulaic pattern.

The film is based on Ethan Canin's short story "The Palace Thief," with screenplay by Neil Tolkin. The literary source may have been brief, but the film nevertheless covers a great deal of territory, telling complete stones both in past and present time

Director Michael Hoffman ("Soapdish") presents his tale partially in flashback, thus mandating a dual cast, with all the younger characters popping up in the second half as their adult equivalents. Both stories testify to the over-riding thematic line laid out in the opening sequence: "a man's character is his fate."

In the opening sequence, Hundert (Kline) arrives at a Long Island resort and reflects on what brought him there. Twenty-five years earlier, he served as Western Civilization professor at the prestigious St. Benedict's boys' school.

He's warmly painted as one of the esteemed teachers who come off so kindly and gently on film but in real life are never so saintly Here. Hundert gathers his minions to teach them not only the exploits of the ancient

Greeks and Romans but how these statesmen and long dead warriors can give guidance today. In keeping with the pattern of teacher-films, Hundert achieves positive results and changes attitudes, that is. until that one pesky kid comes along. The arrival of Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch) simply sets up the kid's eventual transformation. His redemption looks geared towards the school's annual scholarly competition. Bell's quick response to Hundert's cajoling seems too easy, particularly in light of the teacher's visit to the boy's ogreous domineering father, Senator Bell (Harris Yulin). But the younger Bell stops his pranks long enough to make us think he's prepared for the big exam. The exam itself serves, as climax for the first part of the film and leads into the second part. Then, 25 years later a grown up Bell (Harris Yulin) has ___________ huge _________ and now has assembled everyone who participated in the earlier match for a rematch Hundert's insistent theme of character repeats itself as Bell, young and old proves his true worth.

Both big events, and their outcome come off as artificially contrived and simply squeezed in Director Hoffman bites off a big'chunk in his attempt to offer these dual unified tales And some plot points look like they may have received more attention in the original material, such as Hundert's shorthand romance with fellow teacher Elizabeth (Embein Davidtz), and the callow usurping of teaching colleague James Ellerby (Rob Morrow).

Hoffman knows when to use humor, an element not to be overlooked in a story set at a boys' school. He applies the irony and tne film's message a little heavy-handedly at the end, but that's forgivable for a story celebrating good teachers

The film will surely garner the most attention for Kline's excellent trans genarational performance. Often performing outside celebatory media radar, he again proves himseif one of the finest actors of his generation.

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