The title could easily have been Dead Emperors Society, although that might have implied a streak of anarchic humour running through the film. And there's none of that. Rather, we get an earnest examination of morality and humanity--good stuff, but without a badly needed blast of fresh air to make it believable. It's beautifully filmed in warm shades of amber and the story itself has several intriguing twists (no one is pure of heart here). But it's all so solemn that it hurts to watch! Hundert is a complicated man full of hopes and regrets, and Kline plays the role very well indeed, although he's strangely muted. Of the teens, Dano and Hirsch are standouts; Hirsh (Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys) gets the showier wise-guy role and the far more complex Dano (L.I.E.) shines in every scene he's in. On the other hand, the plot is far-fetched if you think about it, forcing the Caesar-Brutus parallel and engaging in far too much cornball inspiration to really mean anything. Basically, why doesn't Hundert learn from history when that's his job? Why is the Mr Julius Caesar title so coveted? Wouldn't the winner just be King of the History Nerds? And why do filmmakers insist on making these mushy, sanitised school dramas when real life is so much more raw and untidy?