Brian Cox, much like his counterpart in Succession, has always been outspoken, and that trait doesn’t limit him from speaking out. However, there is one major problem with such statements: sometimes they come out as somewhat problematic.
See, Phoenix was damn good in Napoleon; there is practically no doubt about it, especially considering his quality. Joaquin Phoenix barely misses. Putting my hand on my heart, I must say that Phoenix wasn’t the best casting; he was practically too old for the role. But this amount of hate is somewhat unjustified.
“It’s terrible, a truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It really is appalling. I don’t know what he was thinking. I think it’s totally his fault, and I don’t think Ridley Scott helps him. I would have played it a lot better than Joaquin Phoenix, I tell you that. You can say it’s good drama. No — it’s lies.”
But then, the hate continued and went beyond the performance, “I think he’s well-named. Joaquin … wackeen … wacky. It’s a sort of wacky performance.”
Cox followed it up with criticism regarding the trend of sacrificing historical accuracy for blockbuster entertainment, echoing sentiments expressed by director Ridley Scott.
He specifically targeted Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart,” calling it a fabrication despite Gibson’s performance. Cox’s remarks were made at HistFest, where he also promoted his role in “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”