Napoleon’s exile on the Italian island of Elba is seen through the eyes of a young teacher who reviles the former emperor, but must serve as his librarian in this light-hearted costume drama that’s as fast-paced as an operetta and spiked with Tuscan humour.
The film features Monica Bellucci as the intriguing Baroness, a floozy who – anxious over turning 40 – aggressively courts 20-something men like Martino who remind her of how beautiful she is.
As Napoleon, French acting legend Daniel Auteuil is more than credible, walking a foot shorter but somehow more imposing than the bodyguards and hangers-on who follow his every step around the island.
Comic side stories make generous use of the Tuscan dialect and accents, yet there are some genuinely emotional moments, too, notably a jewel-like cameo by Margarita Lozano as Napoleon’s former nursemaid.
Locations on Elba deliciously bring the period to life in this lighthearted comedy based on Ernesto Ferrero’s prize-winning historical novel N.