The Inventor: Stephen Fry Voices da Vinci in a Kid-Film About the Power of Questions
By John Kirk
Rating: B+
In his time, Leonardo da Vinci designed machines of war, flight, created unforgettable works of art, studied the human body and even challenged the dogma of the Catholic Church.
In the stop-motion family film The Inventor, we see his sense of wonder, curiosity, and innocence as he draws inspiration about how to make life better for everyone. While relying on some historical information, its inherent sweetness is the main reason for its success.
The story: da Vinci (Stephen Fry), in the latter years of his life, is under the patronage of Cardinal De Medici, a high-ranking official of the Church. Higher ranking still is the ignorant and dogmatic Pope Leo X (Matt Berry) who is no fan of da Vinci. When da Vinci’s patron dies, he is recruited to the court of King Francis I of France to be his Chief Engineer, Artist and Architect. Driven by curiosity, da Vinci is hopeful to find a new place to perform experiments surrounding the great questions of life.
Sadly, he learns that his new patron is just as short-sighted as his former Church masters and da Vinci must learn to strike a balance between performing tasks for his King and continuing his research. When he meets Marguarite De Navarre, the King’s sister, he finds a kindred spirit and they manage to work everyday miracles at the court for the betterment of the people of the kingdom instead of for the glory of its King.
There’s a dazzling amount of quality voice talent in this film. Fry’s distinctive voice is so appealing that any character he plays gets the benefit of gaining automatic acceptability. The da Vinci in this film is a man of good-natured reason, who defies the blind faith of the Church. This is a natural fit for Fry, whose views on science, reason and faith are mirrored. Fry doesn’t have to work hard to portray this character to endear him to the audience.
Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows) plays Pope Leo X. Another distinctive voice, Berry’s character is selfish, sardonic and overbearing in the way that Berry has mastered. Sadly, we don’t get enough of his performance in the film. While what we get goes far to establish the character of the Pope - including a delightful pastoral ditty about the Pope as a Shepherd - Berry is sadly underused here.
The music is a surprising and sweet aspect to the film. Daisy Ridley who performs Marguarite De Navarre, acquits herself incredibly well in this department with a talented singing voice. Her character is the voice of assurance that da Vinci needs to continue with his work. She is the heart of the film’s wholesome and positive nature.
While glossing over the historical aspects of Leonardo da Vinci’s life, there is enough to show that writer Jim Capobianco had enough research to effectively portray Da Vinci and his work, not to mention his movements from Italy to France. But while the inter-weaving of character and canonical history is effectively done, it is the entertainment perspective that rules.
It’s an entertaining if somewhat predictable story. Capobianco is known for his Academy Award-nominated Ratatouille, a similarly-toned film about hope and best intentions. The happy ending motif in The Inventor was borne out of Capobianco’s desire to celebrate da Vinci, not just as a genius, but as a human being with the same limitations as the rest of us. His seemingly effortless intellect probably made him feel lonely but he, like other people, had dreams. And who wouldn’t want to see their dreams come true?
The animation is also relatively simplistic as well. With a style reminiscent of the 1960’s Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, it serves to reinforce the sense of innocence and sweetness by using familiar-shaped characters that many will recognize from their childhoods.
But that’s the reason why The Inventor is a familiar and simple story. As fantastic as da Vinci’s inventions were, the way Capobianco has written him as a humble and accessibly personality helps parents show their kids someone who wasn’t afraid to be curious. He is literally a super-hero that children can relate to, as he demonstrates that asking questions about life helps improve it. A sense of inquiry is a skill children need, and who better to show them than the man who never stopped asking and who accomplished marvels?
It's good to wonder about life. And this wonderful film reminds us that life is good.
The Inventor. Director/Writer: Jim Capobianco. Starring Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Matt Berry, Marion Cotillard, Jim Capobianco, Andre Dussollier, Gauthier Battoue. Available on VOD in Canada, April 23.