Films & Series Donna Leon's Brunetti Mysteries

Angela

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I don't usually like to pan tv series; most usually have something to recommend them, and I prefer to recommend the ones I like.

However, this German language series is so bad that I can't help myself. It's only redeeming quality is the cinematography of Venice.

The series of detective novels is bad enough. I thought Thomas Mann did a job on Venice, but Leon is worse. This tiny city, by American standards, is, by her account, filled with more criminals, sex perverts, racists, you name it, than New York, Chicago and Hong Kong, and is moreover inhabited by people with absolutely no resemblance to Venetians or any other Italians, other than the fact that the lead detective comes home for lunch and actually cares about what he eats.

This is the one time that the goodreads site got it wrong. I guess people just concentrate on the plot twists of the crime and the detective work and ignore all the incongruity.

The tv series is even worse, compounding the whole problem. Why would anyone think that it was a good idea to make a German language series, with German actors who even if they overlap in looks wouldn't really pass in Italy given their body language and lack of facial expressiveness, not to mention some obviously German looking actors, when the series is supposedly about Italians? Add to that the fact that the lead actor has about as much charisma and good looks and acting ability as a cold bratwurst.

Don't waste your time. This is an absolute mess, and I forced myself to watch two episodes just to be sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm15jZ9B_dI
 

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