Daniel Davis

A swing and a miss. Firstly, Joaquin Phoenix’s performance was stone-like and forced. Phoenix seemed like he didn’t want to be in the film. The score was dreadful and distracting. The feel of several songs totally mismatched the emotions of their accompanying scenes. I couldn’t wait for Antionette’s death scene to end just to get through that awful French polka. The writing was horrid and cringy. So many lines lacked imagination or complexity. Most damningly, the movie failed to depict Napoleon’s tactical brilliance, choosing instead to focus on inane relationship drama. Napoleon’s generalship, Napoleon’s ambition, Napoleon’s motivations were all but ignored by the film.