Litvinenko - Indagine sulla morte di un dissidente

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

In 2006, Alexander Litvinenko (David Tennant), a former FSB agent who had relocated to London, was poisoned and taken to hospital. Detectives Brent Hyatt (Neil Maskell) and DS Clive Thomas (Mark Bonner) are sent to take his statement, and anything his wife, Marina (Margarita Levieva) has to say, only for Litvinenko to make the claim that his poisoning is the work of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. After his death, a seemingly straightforward murder investigation spirals into a saga of diplomatic relations and international espionage.

I can recall in late 2006 when the story of Alexander Litvinenko was in the papers, even if I didn't follow the story closely, but it definitely caught my eye, so I'm surprised I've dragged my heels so much getting round to this four part drama chronicling the events in the immediate aftermath of it happening. With the current sanctions placed by the UK on Russia in the aftermath of the on-going war in Ukraine, it highlights the amount of dirty money from Russia that's been keeping the economy afloat for so long, and just how much of a blind eye that's been turned to Putin's wrongdoing on British soil, and so there's an uncomfortable prescience to this if nothing else.

The story seems to have been recreated quite accurately and believably, without any corny sensationalism, sadly it plays out in a pretty robotic, workmanlike way that doesn't allow the human drama to blossom in quite the way it should. Performances wise, in the lead role, Tennant brings the titular character to life as well as could be hoped for, in a role with inevitably limited screen time, while there's sturdy support from Levieva as his emotionally overwhelmed but strong willed wife, along with Maskell and Bonner as the hard nosed detectives determined to get justice for the Litvinenkos. In the second act, as the murdered man's past becomes more clear, the tone uncomfortably shifts from straight laced drama to something a little more easy going, even if the dark core of the drama remains.

Overall, it's a perfectly serviceable drama, with all the cylinders firing in the right places, just somewhat perfunctory and without that extra energy required to really give it a kick. ***

Having spent several years working in Moscow, I began watching through personal interest, but rapidly became hooked by the superb quality of this production on every level, in every department. The whole cast should feel massively proud of what they have achieved with this. They have done the Litvinenkos proud. Marina Litvinenko was beautifully portrayed, and David Tennant did a great job as the man himself. Best drama we've seen on any TV channel for years, including Line of Duty, The Crown, and all the other flagships. This is a true must watch.......hope it reaches the widest possible audience worldwide.

The Metropolitan Police investigate the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, a former member of The Russian FSB, now a British Citizen, who is poisoned with deadly agent, plutonium. The Police get some time with the murder victim ahead of his death.

David Tennant was the face of this drama, every advert showed a picture of him, and there is a chilling similarity between Tennant in that hospital bed, and the real life Litvinenko, the big surprise, Tennant only features in one episode.

I really did enjoy it, it seeks to explore the story, details the investigation into the poisoning, and shows the farcical situation in which British officers went on an information seeking mission to Moscow. The one thing it doesn't do, is give enough insight into Litvinenko himself, they could have spent some more time detailing his past.

Episode one is the standout, it's an excellent, gritty, tragic affair, what follows is different, but enjoyable, not as gritty, sometimes a little frivolous, but interesting.

I'm struck by the role the media had in the case, they always seemed to be one step ahead, somebody was clearly leaking information.

A brave drama to make, especially when you think of the current state of affairs between Russia and The West.

It made for an interesting watch.

7/10.

I am still astonished by this short TV series. It begins by the death of Litvinenko, poisoned in London, in 2006, and proceeds with the meticulous investigation that was made by the British authorities to find out how the Russian Poutine opponent was killed. To find out in deep accuracy, to the least detail. It is absolutely stunning, riveting, poignant. You are absorbed, swallowed by this story for which you already know how it ends. Now, in 2023, during war in Ukraine, it resonates even deeper, stronger; we can see how Russian - NOT RUSSIAN PEOPLE,BEWARE - authorities are liars, masters in the art of duplicity.and treachery. I fell off my coach after seeing the sequence where the Russian government smiling lady gives the British police officer the tape supposed to have the record of the Russian agent interview. A recording tape supposed to be used as a proof. I already told to myself that the British cop should have a tape recorder machine to check, rightaway, just in front of the lady, but no, he takes the tape and that's all. And guess what? Of course the recording tape was blank.... Russians....

The audacity of Putin to have his minions murder British citizens on the streets of Britain is beyond belief. First, this using radiological warfare and later using a banned nerve agent. This and the later events in Salisbury were shocking and showed the world what an appalling and murderous dictator Putin is. The painstaking investigation which proves what happened can be a little sterile but it would be. Obviously, Tennant is not in it long but very good use is made of his time and he delivers a fantastic performance. The whole cast do very well in their roles and the producers deserve praise for recreating these terrible events.