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FILM REVIEW: Napoleon

Grand in scope, but a futile attempt at character study Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, John Hollingworth, Y...


Grand in scope, but a futile attempt at character study

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, John Hollingworth, Youssef Kerkour, David Tucci

Rating: 2/5

 

Napoleon is Ridley Scott’s personal look at the French military leader’s origins and swift, ruthless climb to power as emperor, viewed through the prism of Napoleon’s addictive, volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine.

Now Scott does just the bare minimum of what a biopic should do: inform the audience about the various events that took place in the person’s life, but fails to add depth to the character or to make it more than just a biopic. Scott just gives us a superficial look at the character, never really getting into the psyche of Napoleon.

The result is a bland, boring, frustrating, and unintentionally hilarious generic historical film.

Not just as a character study Napoleon fails as a love story as well. In fact, the love story arc is far from convincing and not even very interesting. The only thing worth remembering in Napoleon is the violent battle sequences, which are shot well. 

The actors were not the actors for the film: Joaquin Phoenix still thinks that he is in Joker and goes along that tangent. He looks as if he were disinterested, and as if he weren’t even trying. Vanessa Kirby does what she can with the little that she gets to do.

A disappointing fare.

 

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