Emperor - B

Rated PG-13, 98 minutes

"Emperor" a slow but affecting mix of history and romance

Tommy Lee Jones

"Emperor" is the compelling new fact-based drama with a unique mix of history and romantic travails. It's well-acted, glossy and slow especially in it's middle act, but the arthouse film is also satisfying. It tells the story of real U.S. General Bonner Fellers ("Lost's" Matthew Fox), who under the supervision of Commanding U.S. General Douglas MacArthur ("Lincoln's" Tommy Lee Jones), is investigating the Japanese Emperor of war crimes following the end of World War II. An expert in Japanese culture and psychological warfare, Fellers' mission is also deeply personal as he searches for a long lost love named Aya (Japanese actress Eriko Hatsune), with the future of Japan and the U.S. at stake based on Fellers' findings. Based on the book "His Majesty's Salvation" by Shiro Okamoto and directed by Peter Webber ("Girl with a Pearl Earring"), the absorbing "Emperor" is slow but richly satisfying, with handsome production values and well-acted by Fox and another scene-chomping performance by Jones, playing another revered historical figure in MacArthur. "Emperor" is also an intriguing, global production; it's a joint U.S.-New Zealand production (and also filmed there), it's based on a Japanese book, stars American and Japanese actors and is directed by the British Webber. The middle act in particular slow-moving, but it's worth staying to the end, even if you know the history behind the story, and expect to have some tissues handy for the film's deeply romantic angles. An absorbing, well-acted mix of history and romance, "Emperor" is definitely worth your time.

Wes's Grade: B