Napoleon reviews: Joaquin Phoenix-starrer historical epic receives rave reception

The first reviews for Ridley Scott's upcoming historical epic Napoleon are here. The Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby-starrer chronicles Napoleon Bonaparte's ascent to power as the French emperor and his relationship with Empress Joséphine. The promos promised that Napoleon would be depicted as a multifaceted figure, evolving from a mere military commander to the sovereign of nearly all of Europe. 

Apart from Phoenix and Kirby, the supporting cast of Napoleon boasts an impressive lineup. The ensemble includes Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham, Youssef Kerkour, Phil Cornwell, Edouard Philipponnat, Ian McNeice, Paul Rhys, John Hollingworth, Gavin Spokes, and Mark Bonnar.

Thus far, Napoleon holds a score of 81 per cent after 26 reviews on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. 

Here are some of them:

Empire's Catherine Bray wrote, "This is a historical epic which is constantly on the lookout for subtle ways to undercut historical epics."

The Times UK's Kevin Maher wrote, "The captivating power of Phoenix’s performance, delivered in his American vernacular, is that it hovers in a twitchy, shifty, grey zone between imperious outbursts, wounded vulnerability and puckish charm."

The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney was less impressed, "For all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple."

Deadline's Damon Wise wrote, "The runtime doesn’t exactly fly by, and one shudders to think how a Director’s Cut with two more hours will help that, but Napoleon, like its subject, gets where it’s going by stealth."

Napoleon will be released on November 24.