Napoleon (2023)

Napoleon is perhaps one of the last films of the year that could be my favourite film of the year. Having being at the cinema multiple times this year means I have seen the trailer for this film more times than I have seen any trailer.

The story tells of Napoleon Bonaparte and his rise and inevitable fall. Joaquin Phoenix (winner of Best Actor in the 2019 Movie Addict Awards) plays Napoleon and plays Napoleon as an arrogant but at times flawed person and he never seems to get to the stage of narcissist but does comes across as opinionated. I thought that Vanessa Kirby was really good as Josephine, its a tough role to play and yet she played it as if she was Napleon's equal even though it probably was as 

A lot of people have made a noise about this film lacking in historical accuracy. Here's the thing.....I dont care. If I wanted a more accurate version of Napoleon's life then there are probably 100's of documentaries on various streaming services to satisfying me. I want something more from a cinema experience and want something more for my £12. 

The battle scenes are the best thing about the movie and they are quite tough at times especially the first where a horse gets shot at with a cannonball was particularly tough but if there is one thing that Ridley Scott can do well then its action scenes and they are all really good to watch.

Does the film tell the story about Napoleon in a way that is close to what he was like in real life? No, Does the film do a good job of entertaining and giving a good idea of what he was like? Yes. I think the Napoleon in this film is probably a fair representation of what the man was really like. I think if people go into the film not expecting a historical documentary then they will like it a lot more.

By the way, whilst the film is very good it doesn't quite take top spot but it is a worthy runner up. This is one of Ridley Scott's better films which takes a so so screenplay and elevate it to something worth watching because of the casting.