Napoleon starts with a chilling scene. The opening battle scene is spectacular. In fact, several scenes in the film stand out, when seen individually. As part of the film, it doesn’t make the desired impact as the makers skip several events of the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. One needs to research his life story before watching it. Obviously, that’s not possible. Hence, it’s difficult to get involved completely with the goings-on. The long length (2 hours 40 minutes) is also a major minus point. Joaquin Phoenix, however, is outstanding, as expected. Vanessa Kirby plays the challenging role with ease. Edouard Philipponnat (Tsar of Russia) looks dashing and does well. Others also give nice performances but get overshadowed by Joaquin and Vanessa. All in all, Napoleon is an average fare.
My rating – ** ½ out of 5!