Despite being highly praised by some critics and moviegoers, Ridley Scott’s Napoleon epic was met with some divisiveness last year, and Joaquin Phoenix’s performance was part of that divide. Now, British acting legend Brian Cox (most recently known for Succession) has also criticized the film and its lead actors.
Cox has long been unhelpful when it comes to interviews and part-time gigs (like that incredible Tekken 8 trailer he narrated). However, his recent rant at HistFest (via The Standard) took it to an entirely different level.
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The veteran actor had negative things to say about the acting method, Donald Trump and theater critics, but also had something to say about Phoenix’s performance as Napoleon and Ridley Scott’s (lack of) directing him. “It’s terrible. It’s terrible,” he declared. “Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is really terrible. It’s really shocking. I don’t know what he was thinking. I think it’s entirely his fault, I don’t think Ridley Scott can help him and I’m telling you, I can play it better than Joaquin Phoenix.” I would say that last sentence says it all. Just sublime stuff.
As mentioned before, Phoenix, like the historical epic, was a bit hit and miss with both critics and casual moviegoers, so it’s not surprising to hear more criticism of his performance, but read that Cox story, he famously never pulls. His fist, completely destroying it, was so hilarious. At the same time, he also criticized Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, another film in the same genre that he didn’t seem to enjoy, although he liked the performance of the lead actor. “‘Braveheart’ is complete bullshit,” Cox opined. “Mel Gibson is wonderful, but it’s a bunch of lies. He never got a French princess pregnant. It’s bullshit.” [sic] That movie. “
Personally, I think being burned so badly by Brian Cox is something I would be proud of (while re-evaluating my career choices, of course), print it out and hang it on my wall. But I’m still anxiously awaiting Phoenix’s reply. Hopefully reporters will bring this up in the coming weeks and months, especially with Joker: Pas de Deux coming soon.
