by Tony Dayoub
The Deal is an interesting exploration of the rivalry between Britain's current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown (David Morrissey), and the former one, Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). Produced in 2003, for British Television, it was first aired in the U.S. last year, on HBO. This probably wouldn't have even happened, had it not been produced by the same creative team as the popular film starring Helen Mirren,
The Queen (2006). Like that one, it is written by Peter Morgan (
The Last King of Scotland), directed by Stephen Frears (
Dangerous Liaisons), and it has the same actor playing Blair. So one can choose to view it as a prequel, though their storylines are not really tightly connected. Still it should be of interest to fans of that movie, and observers of British politics.
Brown and Blair came up the Labour Party ranks together, their association starting in 1983. Though ostensibly peers, Brown had the benefit of being involved with the opposition party since he was handing out leaflets in his teens. Blair, though born in working class Scotland like Brown, had a more privileged upbringing. Brown took Blair under his wing, and together the odd couple became a popular pair within the party. Both showed potential to be the leader of the newest generation in their organization, and perhaps the best chance at wresting Britain away from the Thatcherite Conservative party.
However, though Brown's experience made it seem he would be destined to take the reins, Blair quickly surpassed him in popularity. As we all know, it was Blair that became PM first. This film reveals the deal the two made leading to the fateful decision as to who would best be qualified to lead the party and eventually Britain itself.
In "A Conversation with Director Stephen Frears", a special feature in the new DVD, the director opines that the movie would be hard to follow for anyone outside Britain, so he hadn't dreamed of releasing it in the U.S. Indeed, the intricacies of British politics can be a bit alien to Americans unfamiliar with the parliamentary form of government. But Frears and Morgan keep it simple. They simply present the information in a mixture of dramatic recreations and documentary footage, and allow the viewer to sort it all out. So even those with little knowledge of British politics can understand what is essentially a story about a talented, hard-boiled leader having his position usurped by a slick, but less experienced, newcomer.
The actors capture the essence of the two politicians with different degrees of success. Morrissey is captivating as the rough Brown, imbuing the character with a code of honor that he valiantly holds onto despite his friends' betrayals. Sheen is not as effective playing Blair's arc from fresh-faced party neophyte to slick, underhanded candidate. Of course, one has the benefit of seeing where he takes this role in the follow-up, The Queen. In that movie, he underplays the more cruelly ambitious aspects of Blair's personality. But in this one, a fair interpretation of the man eludes him, and he chooses to lapse into a subtle villainy rather than a more even-handed portrayal.
Those expecting a character study like The Queen should let go of that notion. The Queen centered around a very specific moment in time known to many around the world, the death of Diana, and the monarchy's response to it. The Deal is more of a political expose, and one's enjoyment hinges on their interest in such stories.
The Deal will be available on DVD this upcoming Tuesday.
Still provided courtesy of Genius Products and The Weinstein Company.
Strong performances continue to clutter up American cinema in 2008. Three strong contenders emerge from Ron Howard's latest film, Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan (The Queen), the movie is based on his play which debuted in London's West End. The original London cast returns, with Frank Langella (Superman Returns) in his Tony award-winning role as disgraced former president Richard Nixon, and Michael Sheen (The Queen) as famed TV host David Frost.
The film depicts the behind-the-scenes events surrounding Nixon's 1977 television interview with Frost. In obtaining an interview with the former president, talk show host Frost saw an opportunity for fame and glory. The embattled Frost was losing ground in his fight to keep himself on the air in Australia and Britain after already having lost a broadcast in New York. This would be a chance to regain relevance in his industry. For Nixon, it would be an opportunity to rehabilitate his reputation after the Watergate debacle, submitting himself to an interviewer that in all likelihood would refrain from hard-hitting questions.
Langella and Sheen prove to be evenly matched onscreen, even if their characters don't seem to be at first glance. Langella's Nixon is crafty, hiding a keen intellect underneath a deceptive mask of age and lumbering physical non-agility. Before one interview session, he innocently makes small talk with Frost. Just as the floor director counts down to camera rolling, Nixon slips in a question to Frost in order to unsettle him, "You have a pleasant evening last night? You do any fornicating?" But Sheen's Frost is not as overmatched as everybody thinks. After agreeing to avoid any questions on Watergate until their fourth session, he leads into their first conversation with the question, "Why didn't you burn the tapes?" Though only slightly ruffling Nixon's feathers with his impatience, the incident seems to encapsulate Frost's showmanship. This quality is later demonstrated to be invaluable in preserving the attention focused on the interviews, as he deals with criticism from the journalistic establishment for his lack of credibility, and wrestles with raising financing for the endeavor.
Yet despite the larger than life characters that front the film, its emotional heart is Sam Rockwell's interpretation of James Reston. One of Frost's researchers, it is Reston who seems to inspire Frost to reach beyond just the banal anecdotes that, as Reston puts it, would fascinate a "talk show host." Reston believes it is their job to give Nixon the "trial he never had." Rockwell (Choke) is explosive in this small role which essentially serves as Frost's conscience, and I predict an Oscar nomination in his near future.
The most surprising achievement director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) accomplishes is staying out of the way of his actors. Instead, he focuses on broadening the play to cinematic scale. Some of it doesn't work, like an annoying framing device where some of the peripheral players in the drama relate the story from the future. In this case, I'm unaware if this was a device used in the play, but it seems to be a pretentious attempt to inject a false historical grandeur to the proceedings. Some of it does, like shooting at expansive locations in California and curiously, tightening the frame with frequent closeups, revealing nuance that would be difficult to see onstage. Perhaps it is Howard's own experience as an actor that serves him best in this film, trusting his cast to act the heck out of their parts.
Frost/Nixon is easy to recommend. It transcends its stage roots to become a quite gripping example of the power of performance, and how filmmaking can hone it to an even sharper degree than the theater can.
Frost/Nixon is in limited release.
by Tony Dayoub
