The Emperor's New Clothes
Alternative history and whimsical imagination make comfortable  bedfellows inThe Emperor's New Clothes. As happens in Simon Leys's novelThe Death of Napoleon,  the French emperor's demise is faked as part of a political comeback scheme, and  Ian Holm--who had previously played Bonaparte inTime Banditsand a 1974  British miniseries--plays both Napoleon and the look-alike who "dies" on the  island of St. Helena. En route to Paris to stage his miraculous "resurrection,"  Napoleon inadvertently finds happiness in Antwerp with an incredulous widow  (High Fidelity's Iben Hjejle) while the look-alike--now comfortable with  his pampered captivity--refuses to reveal his true identity! As directed by Alan  Taylor, this delightful comedy is played at a perfect low-key pitch, favoring  the subtleties of Holm's performance, which is every bit as clever as his Bilbo  Baggins inThe Lord of the Rings. Little-seen in theatrical release, this  acclaimed gem deserves a long life on DVD.--Jeff Shannon