So far, so good. All of this is standard material from Screenwriting 101. But then comes a twist. Mr Hundert falls from grace in a big way. After Sedgewick seems to be making progress, he falls from grace, backsliding into his true colors. Mr. Hundert compromises he ideals and ethics in his zeal to reform Sedgewick. And things get worse when we catch up with the characters in the modern time period. Mr. Hundert still believes in Sedgewick, even after so many disappointments, but the up-and-coming politician is as much a cheater and manipulator as ever.
Ultimately, The Emperor's Club doesn't quite have the edginess to follow this storyline to a natural, cynical conclusionj. There are some feel-good elements thrown in that allow the movie to end on an upbeat note. The results of one screen convince Mr. Humbert that his career as an educator should be judged not by one failure, but by numerous successes. Nevertheless, the cheerful sheen can't obscure the fact that the Emperor's Club isn't business as usual for this sort of picture. It dares to be a little different, and that shading makes the picture worthwhile.
The acting is top-notch. Kevin Kline is, as always, in top form. This is the sort of role he does best. He neither overplays nor underplays Mr. Hundert, getting everything just right, from his quiet guilt-ridden introspection over altering Sedgewick's grades to the light comedy the results from joining the students playing ball in the green. As Sedgewick, Emile Hirsch displays the arrogant bravado one expects from a bad seed; it's a characteristic that Joel Gretsch refines when he plays Sedgewick as a man. Other actors include Embeth Davis as Mr. Hundert's one true love, Rob Morrow as a protege, Edward Herrman as St. Benedict's stuffy headmaster, and Harris Yulin as Sedgewick's father, Senator Bell.
The Emperor's Club doesn't have a lot of heft. It's a relatively light-weight story that is carried more by the well defined characters than the plot developements. In the end, we get a sense that it has all been worthwhile, not only for Mr. Hundert, but for the audience. It helps that the movie confounds our expectations yet still delivers a postive message.