Monsieur N. is a rather unique project directed by the popular host of the European TV show "Eurotrash" Antoine de Caunes who also appeared behind the camera of the chic vampire extravaganza Les Morsures de l'aube a.k.a Love Bites co-starring Asia Argento and Guillaume Canet. While "Eurotrash" mostly relies on cheap sensationalism and strives to please audiences often bored by mundane TV programming Antoine de Caunes' latest feature film Monsieur N. seems to be targeting a whole new community of film aficionados.

Antoine de Caunes' outlandish speculations regarding Napoleon's death are well-structured and what is utterly surprising very well substantiated. Monsieur N. plays with a few theories that have long occupied the minds of both researchers and prudish historians and brings an interesting twist to what is not entirely known by the public. Some of the more prominent speculations that Monsieur N. investigates gravitate around the idea that Napoleon did not die on the island of St. Helena but instead was able to flee and return back to Paris where his body was buried.

For a long time it has also been debated whether or not the exhumed body in Paris, which is supposedly said to be Napoleon's, actually belongs tp the Emperor. There are speculations that the body that was buried on St. Helena belonged to his personal valet Cipriani (Bruno Patzulu) which contradcts history claiming that Napoleon died on the island. Regardless of what you want to believe Antoine de Caunes has decided to offer you his take on these historical events and most of his speculations are an engaging viewing material to say the least.

Monsieur N. joins the elite, or maybe not so privileged, group of films that have surfaced in recent years such as Christopher Menaul's adaptation of Robert Harris' novel Fatherland, Mike Barker's To Kill a King and Franco Zeffirelli's Callas Forever where the definition of "fact" seems to be getting a whole new implication. Similarly Antoine de Caunes' Monsieur N. presents us with the opportunity to speculate with what we know and quite frankly what we don't know about the death of Napoleon.

Aside from the intriguing plot of this film the acting and cinematography are actually very good. It is hard to imagine that the director has managed to undergo such a transformation as Monsieur N. truly brings a new perspective to Antoine de Caunes' talent as a film director, a fact that I am willing to bet will surprise quite a few familiar with his TV work. I was particularly impressed with Antoine de Caunes' camera work and regardless of the opinion that some critics have voiced I am especially pleased to see that Monsieur N. did not turn out to be a cheap, sensationalist piece of film.

Much of Monsieur N. is structured as a part-adventure part-thriller feature that offers some great acting. Phillippe Torrenton (Felix et Lola) playing the exiled Napoleon in particular is magnificent. The witty and sharp as a razor mind of the Emperor is recreated beautifully and dialog is very well handled. The star of Raoul Ruiz's Ce-Jour la Elza Zylberstein is also magnificent as the object of Napoleon's affection although her presence on the screen is rather limited. In addition, the supporting cast consisting of both South African and British actors provides an interesting flavor to Monsieur N. that in my opinion serves the narrative exceptionally well. The film, however, remains a typical European affair that might seem unnecessarily slow for some as the main protagonists take some substantial amount of time to build the image of their characters. Regardless, if you are willing to explore and play a bit with historical facts Monsieur N. could be quite a rewarding experience.

How Does the DVD Look? Empire Pictures have provided a nearly flawless print of Monsieur N. preserving the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. I have a slight suspicion that they have used the French Fox Pathe print as the film exhibits some minor combing but overall this is a very impressive transfer. Perhaps, a progressive transfer would have delivered a top notch result. The film is shot in both French and English and subtitles are provided where the dialog necessitates it.

How Does the DVD Sound? Unlike the French SE of the film which offers a bombastic DTS track Empire Pictures have supplied this DVD release only with a 2.0 French track. The dialog is crisp, clear, and easy to follow.

Extras: Rather weak on extras Monsieur N. offers an interview with the director Antoine de Caunes and actor Philippe Torrenton (in text format), a photo gallery, the featurette "The Legend of Napoleon" (in text format), and a gallery of trailers for other Empire Pictures releases.

Final Thoughts: It is hard to deny the vision of Napoleon Bonaparte as a leader and a general as well as the countless speculations that have been made regarding his veiled in secrecy death at the island of St. Helena. In fact, much of his visionary thoughts about the future of Europe are nowadays somewhat a reality- a unified Europe without state borders, a single European currency, and a Russian state not isolated but being slowly integrated within the European community, etc. Naturally the life of a man that has spurred so much political activity would be the subject of continuous speculations, some ridiculous some rather entertaining. Antoine de Caunes offers his take on the events surrounding the death of the Emperor and if you are willing to put behind the "historic facts" you might have been fed with Monsieur N. could be quite a thrill. RECOMMENDED.