While some reviewers have called this mini series soap opera, and the fictional Julian Mistral, in Judith Krantz's novel, Mistral's daughter, was definitely based on Picasso, right down to his turning his back on Max Jacob, I found it a visual feast for the eyes. From what I have read and seen in the many Picasso biographies, they stayed faithful to well-documented episodes and relationships, avoiding gratuitous inclusion of everyone and anyone who was in bohemian Paris at that time. Although many friends and associates of Picasso were left out, including fellow artists Marc Chagall, Modigliani, and the composer Stravinksky, Gertrude and Leo Stein, Jean Cocteau, Henri Rousseau, Mattisse, and Diaghilev all played a part in Picasso's Paris life, but others were not mentioned. This might be due to my being dependent on captions which don't always relay the full speech. Considering Picasso's very long life, including every associate would have extended the series well beyond 10 episodes, and what 10 episodes they were! Ranging from Malaga and Barcelona to glittering turn of the century Paris, to St. Tropez, Aix en Provence - the sun drenched locations, and narrow cobbled streets were National Geographic come to life.
I took off one star because of the inexcusable casting of Samantha Colley as Dora Maar. I can only assume she is the flavor of the month as she was also in Season One as Einstein's whining wife, which she played perfectly. While most of the cast closely resembled their real life characters, Samantha Colley did not resemble Dora Maar, who bore more of a resemblance to Greta Garbo than the heavy square faced Colley, and certainly did not appear to be the type of woman Picasso favored.
The other star I took off due to the irritating non linear structure which spoils the narrative and makes the whole confusing. This darting about between time periods seems to be a current fad by directors wanting to show off their editing skills but it spoils the flow of the narrative. Half the time you did not know where or when the story was. While it might work in a book, you can always skip through to the parts you wish to follow in order then go back, it does not work in a film. The first two Godfather films were edited into a linear structure for TV. I just wish that a DVD could be produced giving viewers the choice.
Picasso was known for his women, two wives and five long-term mistresses, frequently overlapping, and who know how many casual affairs with increasingly younger women, but the portrayal of his second wife as the dragon at the gate keeping him from his family and friends was very one-sided. Nothing seems to bring out the rancour and character assassination more than being left out of a will. Under French law at the time, illegitimate children and unmarried partners had no rights and could not have inherited his estate even if he had so specified it in his will. Gertrude Stein left her estate including many valuable paintings to her partner of 40 years Alice, who was promptly stripped of it by Stein's family. Picasso had his reasons for not wishing to see his children. Yes, he was spiteful and bullying and could not accept that one of his women had walked out on him as his attempts to sabotage her artistic career proved, but the biased portrayal of the faithful 50 years younger Jacqueline seemed to have been the opinion of Francoise Gilot and her children. The subsequent seven year battle over his estate by Gilot's children who had been excluded due to their being illegitimate as Picasso did not leave a will, and the French authorities and lawyer's attempts to grab most of his fortune did not help his widow find peace of mind and eventually drove her to suicide.
Overall, this was an excellent portrayal of a flawed genius who seemed to drive ex-wives, mistresses, children, friends and a grandchild to drink or suicide as he selfishly managed their lives then discarded them once they were of no further use to him, or tried to run their own lives. Worth watching for the Paris period alone. I will be watching it again. I would just love to see it recut to a linear structure.