Name - Napoleon
Released - 2022
Director - Ridley Scott
It must be one of the most hyped films for some time building on the back of the reputation of Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott. Joaquin who was pretty amazing in the cinematic gem Gladiator also directed by Ridley Scott many years ago brings them back together for Napoleon. I understand there is a sequel to Gladiator underway too, but of course without The Gladiator as he died.
Ridley Scott did a great job with Gladiator and also a few other great films since then too, so the expectations for Napoleon were being hyped pretty mad. However, a quick glance at the ratings and you can see that it wasn't so well received.
I finally got to watch it when it dropped on Apple TV recently and I can say I agree with the critics, what a disappointment! Oh man, it was pretty hard to sit through the whole thing it was farcical. If this is the best they can do for one of historys most famous people, Ridley Scott needs to pack it up now.
One of the worst thing about the film is was there was no fluidity to it, one scene didn't flow into the next very well, it felt all over the place. Also, if anyone has watched Downton Abbey, the costume dramas really need to be believable, and here there was something missing, it just wasn't convincing.
It seemed as though they were making Joaquin to wear the hat so you knew who he was throughout the film. When you might expect to be impressed to the accomplishments of Napoleon, they somehow look ridiculous with the low effort CGI and comical appearances of Joaquin with his hat on. I kept finding myself shouting to him to take the bloody hat off. No one was wearing a Napoleon hat to bed!
Joaquim whom I really like in many of his films, was very dismal in this film. Whilst he strikes a commanding figure, he seemed totally out of his depth here. He couldn't bring Napoleon to life, perhaps they really needed a french person to play the character, as it seemed like they had placed John Wayne as the main character, it didn't fit.
Which brings me on to the main fault, it seemed all totally surreal and unfrench like. Watching Emily in Paris has more french flair than this film. You just thought that they made the film without consulting any french people or historians and made it without dealing with any french people either. The effect is some weird american costume drama that looks and feels really odd.
It could be they didn't know how to portray Napoleon and seemed fixated on his wife and some weird sex scenes which brought nothing to the story. I was hoping to see something about the rise to power of Napoleon and of some of his amazing battles, but it was all so weirdly put together that you could get nothing out of it.
It was a real lost opportunity that seemed rushed, cheaply made and it was like watching stale scenese with Joaquin oddly muttering things to himself that noone could understand.
If you haven't watched it yet, its for sure one to avoid and a great example of the hubris of Ridley Scott to produce such garbage. His best days are long behind him.
Thanks for reading.
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