Brian Cox Slams Joaquin Phoenix’ Napoleon Performance, Calls It ‘Terrible’ And ‘Appalling’ 

HOLLYWOOD star Brian Cox didn’t hold back at London’s HistFest, unleashing his unfiltered opinions on various topics, from politics to theatre critics, and even Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. According to The Standard, Cox didn’t mince words when describing the Oscar-nominated historical drama, calling it “terrible” and Joaquin Phoenix’s performance “appalling.” He didn’t shy away from suggesting he could have done a better job than Phoenix, dismissing the film as “lies” rather than good drama, as reported by Variety.

Cox didn’t stop there, humorously commenting on Phoenix’s name and describing his performance as “wacky.” Beyond individual performances, Cox lamented the trend of sacrificing historical accuracy for blockbuster appeal in films like Napoleon, echoing concerns that Ridley Scott had brushed off during the film’s press tour.

Switching gears, Cox criticised another historical epic, Braveheart, calling it “nonsense” despite acknowledging Mel Gibson’s talent. He specifically debunked one storyline involving Gibson’s character and a French princess, labelling it as “bollocks.”

Despite his status as an iconic director, Ridley Scott faced disappointment when his 2023 film Napoleon bombed in theatres. Surprisingly, this outcome could have been anticipated by examining the performance of another Napoleon Bonaparte movie released over 50 years ago. Scott’s historical action film, starring Joaquin Phoenix, received mixed reviews upon its release at the end of 2023. 

While critics appreciated the film’s impressive battle scenes, they were puzzled by its historical inaccuracies and peculiar tone, aspects not effectively conveyed in the trailer. Ultimately, Napoleon proved to be a commercial failure.