Ridley Scott directs Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby and Tahar Rahim in this historical epic depicting the French leader’s rise to power as well as his relationship with Empress Joséphine.

Big, weird and moving at a tremendous clip. There’s lots to love here, it feels like karaoke Kubrick in the very best ways. Phoenix puts in a strange, spoilt, almost alien performance as Bonaparte and that means we connect with the historical figure’s fears and desire far more intimately than if he were played straight. His own petulant confusion when he is ejected from his own coup. His little horny horse noises when he is gearing up for meat-and-potatoes sex with Josephine. Kirby has the showier part as the mercenary by default wife and lover of the Emperor. Ridley can be trusted to give his leading ladies the most flattering limelight. Battle sequences up the wazoo, the flow of history is managed just right. We know where we are, who is who, what is what without having to have read a 1000 page biography in advance or reams of studied exposition. Just a great time at the movies, roll on the four hour streaming version.

9

Perfect Double Bill: The Duellists (1978)

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