My Review- Leonardo. Streaming on Prime /Paramount
My Rating 6.5/10
Sometimes when waiting at the Supermarket checkout I casually scan amusingly at the improbable and scandalous headlines about The Royals or other assorted famous celebrities that must create sales in some of the more trashy magazines.
Well after doing a fact check on the substance of this lavishly produced series by Italian Lux Vide in collaboration with Rai Fiction, Sony Pictures Entertainment I'm inclined to feel that this series is certainly more fiction than fact.
The problem for me was not that it's poorly produced or not entertaining it's the total emphasis on a murder that never occurred of a woman Caterina da Cremona.
Not only was she not murdered many art historians claim that even if she had indeed existed, she was merely a passing figure in da Vinci's true story certainly not his muse as portrayed in this 8 part series.
The casting also didn't on the whole impress me Aidan Turner in the title role gives a good performance which is thoughtful and understated but for me like Keira Knightly in Colette who played the famous French author I find British or in this case Irish actors portraying famous European historical characters just aren't convincing and lack authenticity even if the actor is giving a good performance.
Freddie Highmore as Stefano Giraldi a totally fictional Renaissance Private Eye trying to solve Caterina's murder and vindicate Leonardo's alleged involvement I also found unconvincing .
Freddie youthful appearance just isn't suited to this role in my opinion he looks more like a teenager dressed up with a beard to look like a detective.
There's plenty of action and melodrama even a last minute reprieve from the gallows but considering it never occurred just seemed silly and too much poetic licence.
I do have some positive observations though the Italian settings and production quality make Leonardo worth watching .
Originally the intention was to shoot in Florence and Milan, but filming was relocated to Rome as a result of the Covid outbreak.
The background stories true or otherwise to the 8 famous works referred to including The Last Supper and of course Mona Lisa make entertaining viewing.
The series of course is not all fiction Leonard was arrested for Sodomy and we are right to assume that he was a homosexual as the only real intimate sexual experience depicted in the series is with his male lover Salai not a woman.
The rivalry between Leonardo and the much younger Michelangelo is apparently quite factual and I found most interesting.
The true story of Leonardo Da Vinci is jaw dropping enough and I felt that this playing fast and loose with fact can barely be justified when his remarkable biography should provide enough drama.
My Rating 6.5/10
Sometimes when waiting at the Supermarket checkout I casually scan amusingly at the improbable and scandalous headlines about The Royals or other assorted famous celebrities that must create sales in some of the more trashy magazines.
Well after doing a fact check on the substance of this lavishly produced series by Italian Lux Vide in collaboration with Rai Fiction, Sony Pictures Entertainment I'm inclined to feel that this series is certainly more fiction than fact.
The problem for me was not that it's poorly produced or not entertaining it's the total emphasis on a murder that never occurred of a woman Caterina da Cremona.
Not only was she not murdered many art historians claim that even if she had indeed existed, she was merely a passing figure in da Vinci's true story certainly not his muse as portrayed in this 8 part series.
The casting also didn't on the whole impress me Aidan Turner in the title role gives a good performance which is thoughtful and understated but for me like Keira Knightly in Colette who played the famous French author I find British or in this case Irish actors portraying famous European historical characters just aren't convincing and lack authenticity even if the actor is giving a good performance.
Freddie Highmore as Stefano Giraldi a totally fictional Renaissance Private Eye trying to solve Caterina's murder and vindicate Leonardo's alleged involvement I also found unconvincing .
Freddie youthful appearance just isn't suited to this role in my opinion he looks more like a teenager dressed up with a beard to look like a detective.
There's plenty of action and melodrama even a last minute reprieve from the gallows but considering it never occurred just seemed silly and too much poetic licence.
I do have some positive observations though the Italian settings and production quality make Leonardo worth watching .
Originally the intention was to shoot in Florence and Milan, but filming was relocated to Rome as a result of the Covid outbreak.
The background stories true or otherwise to the 8 famous works referred to including The Last Supper and of course Mona Lisa make entertaining viewing.
The series of course is not all fiction Leonard was arrested for Sodomy and we are right to assume that he was a homosexual as the only real intimate sexual experience depicted in the series is with his male lover Salai not a woman.
The rivalry between Leonardo and the much younger Michelangelo is apparently quite factual and I found most interesting.
The true story of Leonardo Da Vinci is jaw dropping enough and I felt that this playing fast and loose with fact can barely be justified when his remarkable biography should provide enough drama.