Leonardo

Very interesting show. Well cast except for Freddie Highmore. He seems to be playing a renaissance Shawn Murphy (The Good Doctor) with a beard and a British accent. His character just doesn't fit in. Is it nepotism if you are the executive producer? Selfotism? Please Freddie, you are a great actor, just not in this role.

Rating 6.5/7 There's nothing wrong with fictionalizing the life of famous people long ago or with creative anachronisms. When done well, that's absolutely great. So, I have no great sympathy for those who condemn this solely on the basis of fictional licence.

But, for the life of me, I cannot see why this show is even linked to the life of Leonardo. It's not as if it gives any insight into the nature of art, artistic compulsion, sponsorship or even the making of Leonardo's works. Strip away the famous name (and other names of the time) and what you have is a so-so costume mystery about a murder.

The mystery itself--who killed Caterina--scarcely works, in significant part because Freddie Highmore is poorly cast as the inquistor, Stefano Giraldi--a matter of age, script and, perhaps, performance.

Aidan Turner, fine looking and competent actor though he is, also seems miscast, particularly for the young Leonardo in the earlier episodes. He looks too old and he doesn't convey the passion, innocence and hopefulness of a young man embarking on his career. Nor is there any nuance to his responses to the various opportunities and disappointments to come to him. His scenes with Caterina are often awkward or overblown.

To be fair to the cast, they're not given a lot to work with.

So, if you want to see lots of good looking people in luscious costumes and settings, this may be for you. But, that's about all you'll take away from it.

This production is banal beyond belief.

The characters are one dimentional especially Leonardo.

The hair and make up so 21st century, you can almost imagine the hair tongs and as for the actor's artificially whitened teeth!

There is no attempt at any faintly historical dialogue - all in all apalling rubbish.

Maybe, it is not the biographic series who you expect. But it is beautiful and well acted and comfortable and far by huge innovations. Not the accuracy of events, not pledge for a theory or other, not the eulogy of the great genius are purpoises of it. But a honest story around a presumed murder, having as basic virtue the beautiful cinematography and the inspired work of Aidan Turner. Sure, many sins, from too sentimental scenes to not the best dialogues in some episodes or the torture for brave Freddie Highmore in the most bizarre role of his career. But it is beautiful, for so many motives, it is just beautiful. Not impressive, not great, not memorable. Only the honest sketch who reminds, give some smiles, propose not the most convincing but not so bad explanations, reminds the war between artist and world, reminds the miracle of beauty around us and becomes, episode by episode, a sort of oasis, with flavour of old fashion series. So, real beautiful sketch.

There bas been much debate about how this series has been fictionalized, with any drama you have to accept that this is a story, and it does not have to be100% accurate, in the way that a documentary is. I really do not understand people who will score a series only one, when if you split apart the components that go to make a series like this, you would score way above that. It pays not to have unrealistic expectations when you approach something historical. The other thing is of course that although Leonardo Da Vinci left some amazing artworks, we know surprisingly little about his life.

I really enjoyed this series. You don't have to be artistic to appreciate the loving detail that went into creating the stories around each of his artworks, and the immense talent he undoubtedly had. Aidan Turner embraced the challenge wholeheartedly, and whilst he probably won't get nominated for any major awards, he can be proud of his work, as can the supporting cast. They created an interesting story, with beautiful sets and an appreciation for the depth of his contribution to art, and I think that counts for a lot.