Brian Cox: Joaquin Phoenix Was ‘Truly Terrible’ in ‘Napoleon’ and ‘I Would Have Played It a Lot Better’

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/brian-cox-slams-joaquin-phoenix-napoleon-terrible-1235974056/

43 comments

  1. >“It’s terrible,” Cox said of the Oscar-nominated historical drama, per The Standard. “A truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It really is appalling. I don’t know what he was thinking. I think it’s totally his fault and I don’t think Ridley Scott helps him. I would have played it a lot better than Joaquin Phoenix, I tell you that. You can say it’s good drama. No — it’s lies.”

    That’s what shock me. Everyone else is doing an accent except Joaquin. Even if he tries, It won’t make the movie any better.

  4. It really is tragic how badly it turned out and how quickly negative reviews were attacked. It’s such an amazing story and all Ridley Scott had to do was tell it.

  6. It really was a letdown. Felt so aimless and uninspired. Didn’t even seem to know what genre they were looking for.

  7. If memory serves Joaquin said that he had no idea what he was doing with the character right up until filming? And people who watched said it shows. Bum deal.

  9. He’s not wrong. Phoenix was the only one using an American accent for the entire movie and was wooden. Not sure if it’s his fault, the director, or who, but this movie took an interesting story and did everything poorly.

  10. This was such a weird movie, like I went into this movie without knowing a whole lot about Napoleon. And when I watched the movie, all I learned was that according to Ridley Scott Napoleon was kind of a idiot but clever at times. And that Napoleon’s wife had no respect for him, and cheated on him like three times. I feel like I actually learned less, by watching the movie then I knew before watching it. It was also a pretty odd choice to make that he was cheated on, such a huge part of his story.

  11. How napoleon could have been made without the main character either speaking entirely in French or with a French accent is confusing to me.

  12. What worries me is that the same writer came up with Gladiator 2, with Riddlez directing…

    If it’s even close to matching the original, it’ll be a miracle.

  13. I enjoyed the fight scenes, but other than that I definitely agree with other users that there really seemed to be no direction or plotline for the film. When it ended it was just like oh that’s the end? Alrighty then!

  15. I love Cox for his blunt and direct answers, he’s not dull at all. You can like him or not, but it’s refreshing that he’s not holding back when being questioned, and thinking about what the public opinion would be, and how many people he would insult.

  16. I can’t argue with this statement. Napoleon was terrible, one of the worst movies I’ve ever watched. Why did everyone in the movie have a French or British accent and Joaquin spoke in an American accent when he was supposed to be French!!?!?! Whose decision was that?!

  17. I def think Joaquin has gone into a phase in his career where no one can tell him what to do, so he goes in wrong directions or self-indulgence a loooot more than say a decade ago. To me his last GREAT performance is in The Master. He’s always a powerhouse, but misses the mark and comes off extremely self absorbed in his performances as of late.

  19. Honestly I think a person like napoleon is a character who’s story you can’t tell in a single film it would have been better if this was a TV series similar to the crown with a different actor each season 

  20. I think it was just plain horrible casting. Kind of like Michael Douglas playing Benjamin Franklin. Who the fuck is in charge of the stuff?

  21. Brian Cox should know, literally one of the best actors of the last what like 30 plus years? Not like some armchair jabroni making the comment.

  23. Ouf! I’m glad that I didn’t go see it. How disappointing when you have such a rich trove of information on Napoleon.

  24. The epitome of too old and too accomplished to give AF.

  25. Like I’d tell already just by watching trailer. I’m big fan of Phoenix but he looked lost while playing one of the most charismatic historical figure in the history. I get it that you can try new take on Napoleon but he has to have charisma otherwise his history doesn’t make any logical sense

  27. I would see a film where Brian Cox plays Napoleon that presupposes that Napoleon did not die at 51 and then spent his senior years walking around the island telling people to… fuck off! I don’t even need a plot or battle scenes.

  28. English movies portraying French history are always dogshit or biased and historically revisionised or, often, both.

  30. Brian Cox manages to put pathos into the McDOnalds jingle. I agree with his assessment

  31. >*Variety* has reached out to representatives for both Cox and Phoenix.

    I like how Variety is re-reporting what another publication did the work on, and are now “reaching out” to see if they can keep the ball rolling to make more of the story than what’s necessary, so they can act like they actually did something.

  32. A guy doing McDonald’s commercials is coming out hot. I’m here for it

  33. I mean I’m not a big fan of Joaquin Phoenix but I don’t think he was bad. The movie wasn’t bad either but it just didn’t have a good direction… like his relationship with his wife is the main part and I don’t even know what the fuck happens with the battles and his relationships with other monarchs lol. Isn’t that why he’s remembered lol

  35. He is not wrong, LOL. 100% right about Napoleon and Joaquin. The movie was complete trash. I blame Ridley Scott for it, though.

  36. Napoleon gets married.

    *Cut to*

    Napoleon Doggystyle.

    “It’s good to be the King.”

  38. Damn, Brian. Why don’t you tell us how you really feel?

  39. Dude says the rudest shit about other actors constantly. What a total and complete asshole he is.

  40. It was so bad though.

    I rarely find a persons performance the reason I can’t get through a movie, but Phoenix was so bad my wife and I did exactly that.

    Joaquin has been insufferable for a while, but at least the acting chops were always there. Now he’s just a low effort douche.

  41. I thought it was funny as hell and kinda what they were going for?

  42. Brian fox should be ashamed of himself for partnering with McDonald’s. Lost all respect

  43. I don’t hang this on Phoenix at all, but he should own some of it. The story told was an utter misunderstanding of Napoleon. It tried to make him a mercurial Steve Jobs type of character and that just isn’t at all what Napoleon was. He had his strengths and weaknesses but none of those were explored in the movie. It was fan fiction at best. If Scott and co had sold it as a dramatic reinterpretation of events it might have gone over better but as some kind of definitive look at the person it just failed in every way. It was truly weird to watch and understand “why” the story told was told as it was.

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