‘Napoleon’ Review: Ridley Scott Ricochets Between the Battlefield and Bedroom in Bloated Take on French Despot

Strictly Come Dancing star Dianne Buswell has opened up on how there has been ‘a lot of going on in her personal life’ recently. The 34 year old pro dancer was given a pass into the show’s semi-finals with her partner, EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier, on Saturday night after the public vote was cancelled because Nigel Harman had injured a rib in rehearsals - leaving him unable to continue in the competition. But, despite her and Bobby becoming fan favourites this year, Dianne has faced heartache behind-the-scenes.

It's soon going to be Christmas, a time of indulgence and some seriously delicious food. Everyone's gearing up to host family and friends and so a little recipe inspiration will always come in handy, especially if you're entertaining someone who is coeliac or gluten-free. A lot of festive food is on ‘Santa’s naughty list’ for those with food intolerances or sensitivities but it doesn't have to be that way.

Wine and weddings - they go together like love and marriage. Whether it’s a fizzy toast to the bride and groom, a tipple with the meal or raising a glass as guests dance the night away, alcohol has always been a key part for any nuptials. Recently though there has been a rise in people choosing to go alcohol-free, with more and more couples opting out of serving booze on their big day.

With two hugely popular bands making a comeback this year, Frankie Bridge has addressed The Saturdays reunion rumours and said "never say never".The Saturdays shot to fame in the summer of 2007, made up of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa White. Some of their hit songs include If This Is Love, What About Us, Higher and Up, before their hiatus in 2014.The likes of Frankie, Mollie and Rochelle have remained heavily in the spotlight and have taken to TV and radio presenting, while Una and Vanessa have gone on to release solo music.

Alissa Simon Film Critic With her debut feature “Tiger Stripes,” Malaysian writer-director Amanda Nell Eu joins an exciting group of directors who provide subversive takes on genre and body horror. Julia Ducournau and “Raw” comes to mind, as do Agnieszka Smoczynska and “The Lure” and John Fawcett and “Ginger Snaps” — like David Cronenberg before them. Eu, an MA graduate of the London Film School, blends Malaysian folklore with heightened realism and a large dollop of “Mean Girls” in the story of a tween going through changes wrought by puberty and alterations in her friendship group.

The birth certificate for Paris Hilton‘s newborn daughter has been revealed!

Ridley Scott has been typically dismissive of critics taking issue with his forthcoming movie Napoleon, particularly French ones.

Will Tizard Contributor Recreating epic battle scenes was just part of the challenge in filming “Napoleon” with director Ridley Scott, says Polish-born cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, who screened the grand-scale biopic at the Camerimage cinematography festival in Poland on Friday. Getting the realism needed to capture the vast brutality of the Battle of Austerlitz or Waterloo, says Wolski, depends on exhaustive planning and coordination, of course, but also some impressive juggling.

Ridley Scott’s Napoleon marches into cinematic battle with the bluster and confidence that comes with a reported $200-million budget and Sir Ridley’s decades-deep track record of well-mounted action epics.All that money and prestige is visible onscreen in the film’s far-flung locations, hundreds of extras, delectable period costumes and decor, and, as advertised, several massively-scaled scenes of battle, on land and sea, circa 1789 to 1815.Legions of infantry and cavalry clash on various rolling hills of Europe, shot in icy, desaturated blues and grays by Dariusz Wolski, Scott’s cinematographer on his last nine films (though not his next one, Gladiator 2, being lensed by Gladiator d.p. John Mathieson).Against vast fields of green or snow-covered grasses, and CGI-enhanced masses of combatants, soldiers’ coats flash a red that’s many shades brighter than the blood that flows and bursts violently across the screen.The filmmakers spare no visual detail in depicting the bodily devastation of hand-to-hand armed combat — death by bayonet, point-blank gunfire, horse hooves, or long-range artillery.Death here is bloody, disgusting, and woefully unnecessary, but it’s also the main currency of war, and this movie revels in the loud, explosive spectacle of war far more enthusiastically than it casts its feebly critical eye at the men who clamor for it.Above all else, the film renders tribute to Napoleon Bonaparte, portrayed by Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix as a shrewd but coarse, fearless, petulant, glowering egomaniac who rises to imperial power fighting and winning wars.

EXCLUSIVE: Getting a leg-up here on our Thanksgiving stretch preview, Apple Studios production of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon will invade the global box office via Sony this Wednesday, in what’s shaping up to be a $46M WW global start.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic “Perhaps if people talked less, animals would talk more,” observes one of the human characters in “Charlotte’s Web,” a kiddie classic that serves as both the butt of several jokes and an inspiration for Adam Sandler’s animated “Leo,” an endearing Netflix original that strikes just the right balance between heart and fart jokes. Basing the way Leo sounds on his squeaky-scratchy, slightly guttural impression of the late Hollywood agent Bernie Brillstein, Sandler voices a crusty old iguana who’s spent three-quarters of a century — practically his entire life — trapped in an elementary school classroom.

Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara are stepping out for the night.

To the surprise of no one, eternal curmudgeon Ridley Scott doesn’t buy into the superhero movie hype. In a new interview with Deadline, the director said he isn’t “a superhero fan” and has “been offered” to make several but always turns them down.

Joaquin Phoenix reportedly “walked out” of the premiere of his new film Napoleon earlier this week.The historical drama stars Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role as Napoleon Bonaparte, the military mastermind and Emperor of France. It spans 32 years from the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 to Napoleon’s death on St Helena in 1821, and explores significant battles as well as the romantic turmoil with his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais.Phoenix was spotted walking out of the film’s premiere in Paris on Tuesday (November 14) before it started.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Ridley Scott-directed historical epic “Napoleon” is set to get a release in mainland Chinese theaters next month. The Apple Original Films and Sony Pictures’ title has received approval for import into China and release in a Dec. 1 slot, Sony said on Thursday. Per a Sony synopsis, the film “details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix.

Apple Original Films and Sony Pictures’ Ridley Scott-directed action epic Napoleon has landed a theatrical release date in China of Dec. 1.

Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby are stepping out for the UK premiere of their new movies.

2024 is a big year for the “Alien” franchise, with Fede Álvarez‘s “Alien: Romulus” hitting theaters on August 16, 2024. But what about Noah Hawley‘s long-gestating “Alien” TV series for FX? Not according to TheWrap, with Hawley telling the outlet that show will air “somewhere in the in the first half of [2025],” given strike-related delays.

It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that the reunion of director Ridley Scott and “Napoleon’s” leading man, Joaquin Phoenix, is a rich, layered, and satisfying offering. There is alchemy at work that transfixes the audience as much as any of the epic battle sequences.  Directed and produced by Scott, “Napoleon” is based on the true story of Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Phoenix.

Napoleon, with generally favourable reviews across the board.The historical drama stars Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role as Napoleon Bonaparte, the military mastermind and Emperor of France. It spans 32 years from the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 to Napoleon’s death on St Helena in 1821, and explores significant battles as well as the romantic turmoil with his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais.Many have praised director Scott for crafting the kind of bombastic spectacle favoured in late ’50s and early ’60s Hollywood, noting in particular the technical and theatrical skill enacted for the sweeping, bloody battle scenes.

Excusez-moi?Earlier, when the strategic genius is frustrated by rival Britain’s naval might, he whines like a little boy who’s been bullied at recess, “You think you’re so great because you have boats!”Depicting one of the most consequential figures in all of European history as a sourpuss clown who crazily rattles off nonsense is a brow-raising choice by Scott, screenwriter David Scarpa and the always peculiar Phoenix.After all, a person can’t very well forge a half-million-square-mile, multi-continental empire by being a total moron.But that’s what this Napoleon is — a fool. Viewers spend most of the two and a half hours (Scott says his Apple TV+ cut will be a merciless four) laughing mockingly at the guy who commissioned the Napoleonic Code.

There are ghosts on and off the screen in Ridley Scott’s 28th feature, chief among them being Stanley Kubrick’s unrealized biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Corsican military strategist who inveigled his way up through the ranks of the military to become the leader of France not once but twice. That at the age of nearly 86 Scott has stepped up to finish what Kubrick couldn’t is something the British director will no doubt relish. But though his take on the story is his own, there’s still something elusive about Bonaparte’s story that doesn’t make a coherent whole: as is consistent with history, Scott’s Napoleon is a lover and a fighter, an incongruity that leads to sharp changes in tone and a restlessly episodic narrative that can be overwhelming in its dates, names and places.

Joaquin Phoenix has the support of his real-life partner Rooney Mara at the premiere of his new film Napoleon, though they skipped the red carpet photo op.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Holding the world premiere of Ridley Scott‘s “Napoleon” in Paris was a no-brainer for Sony Pictures’ chairman Tom Rothman, due to the film’s French DNA and its subject, the famous French emperor (played by Joaquin Phoenix). “Where else could you begin the worldwide rollout of ‘Napoleon’ than France?,” said Rothman on the red carpet of the event at the Salle Pleyel concert hall, where Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby and Tahar Rahim were able to attend thanks to the end of the 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike. But the French theatrical bow comes with a downside for Apple, which financed the pricey movie and will now have to wait 17 months to launch the movie on its service due to France’s strict windowing rules.

Paris’ Salle Pleyel hosted the world premiere of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon this evening, rolling out the red carpet for the epic that stars Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby. Scott, the two leads and actor Tahar Rahim all were in attendance for the unveiling of the film from Apple Original Films and Sony. Watch Scott introduce the pic below.

EXCLUSIVE: Ridley Scott unveils Napoleon today at a lavish world premiere in the 2,500-seat Salle Pleyel concert hall in Paris. He is 85 but seems ageless, and Scott is already plotting to quickly resume production on Gladiator, the second installment of his film that won five Oscars including Best Picture. He’s got 90 minutes of footage, fully edited, and needs that much more. He expects to be shooting within two weeks, and he’s already got his next movie slated for around March. Though he is keeping the details to himself, he acknowledged it’s period, with a script like perfectly distilled liquor, and two stars ready to join him in what he said is a bucket list project for him.

Napoleon movie has been shared – watch it below.The upcoming film from director Ridley Scott stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte. It follows the French leader’s rise to power and his relationship with Empress Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby).

When creating a score to fit the nuanced humanity of the man on a brutal warpath, composer Martin Phipps had quite the challenge. It only became that much more complex when he reached out to director Ridley Scott, who offered him no specifics on a musical theme.

Napoleon movie has been shared – watch it below.The upcoming film from director Ridley Scott stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte. It follows the French leader’s rise to power and his relationship with Empress Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby).

It’s hard to believe that after 27 feature films, Ridley Scott still has yet to win an Oscar. He came closest at the 73rd Academy Awards, where his 2000 film “Gladiator” won Best Picture and Russell Crowe won Best Actor.

Andrew Scott has revealed that he was encouraged by various people in the film and television industry to keep his sexuality to himself.The Fleabag actor – who is starring in All Of Us Strangers, set to release in January 2024 – has told GQ that he “was encouraged, by people in the industry who I really admired and who had my best interests at heart, to keep that [to myself].”He went on to say, “I understand why they gave that advice, but I’m also glad that I eventually ignored it.”In 2013, the Sherlock actor ‘came out’ in an interview in The Independent. On the experience, Scott told GQ, “Sometimes I find the prurient nature of the way we talk about it a little bit exhausting.

Black Sabbath’s original manager has said that the use of the band’s ‘War Pigs’ in the new trailer for Napoleon was a “perfect” use of the song.The upcoming film from director Ridley Scott stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte in the film. It follows the French leader’s rise to power and his relationship with Empress Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby).

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Christmas comes early this year, as “Journey to Bethlehem” puts words (and music) in the mouths of all who bore witness to Jesus’ birth. Some of those tunes — like “Silent Night” and “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” — will sound familiar enough, though most of the songs — like most of the script — represents a fresh interpretation of believers’ original miracle, courtesy of Adam Anders, making a competent, if undistinguished directorial debut with the least edgy retelling of the nativity story around (which is essentially what the faith-based audience has been asking for).

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ridley Scott revealed in a recent New Yorker profile that he has been editing the 90 minutes of footage he was able to capture for “Gladiator 2” before the Hollywood strikes shut down production. Scott was shooting the long-awaited “Gladiator” sequel in Morocco when filming stopped indefinitely. He can’t resume production until the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved.

Ridley Scott loves making historical epics. He’s done it numerous times, most successfully with classic, “Gladiator.” And he’s back at it again with the forthcoming “Napoleon.” However, as was pointed out when a historian on TikTok reviewed the trailer for Scott’s latest epic, “Napoleon” isn’t the most historically accurate film of all time.

Ridley Scott has little time for anyone pointing out historical errors in his upcoming film Napoleon.The director was asked by the New Yorker about responses to the film’s trailer, namely TV historian Dan Snow’s TikTok breakdown of inaccuracies – including Napoleon’s involvement at the 1798 Battle of the Pyramids and how he “never” led a French cavalry charge.“Get a life,” Scott told the outlet in response.Speaking about his process, the director added: “I tend to be visual above all things, before the written word.”Joaquin Phoenix plays Napoleon Bonaparte in the film, which follows the French leader’s rise to power and his relationship with Empress Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby). Other cast members include Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles and Rupert Everett.The historical epic will be released in cinemas from November 22, with a four-hour director’s cut set to arrive on Apple TV+ at a later date. The theatrical cut spans 157 minutes.Scott previously told a journalist to “go fuck yourself” after he said 2021’s The Last Duel was “more realistic” than his past films like Robin Hood and Kingdom Of Heaven.“Sir, fuck you,” Scott said in response.