The Deal (2003)

Political history is something of a fascination in my family, whether it is the events leading up to the Holocaust or recent shifts in power in different governmental agencies. My knowledge of British history is fairly well rounded but this is one aspect that I did not know much about prior to renting this film. Primarily, my decision to see it was out of curiosity -- Michael Sheen has played former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on two occasions and has been announced for a third.

The Labor party has suffered recent setbacks with the landslide victory of the conservatives and the appointment of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. Their disheartened and humiliated opposition is left scrambling for answers and a new take on current policies. Up-and-coming Scottish politician Gordon Brown (David Morrissey) has just been elected as a public official and is not altogether pleased when asked to share office space with the passionate and enthusiastic Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). They share a mutual vision for England that includes the rebirth of the Labor party, with more focus on union responsibilities and affordable health care, but seem to be swimming against the tide. The old establishment is crumbling and their new voices have little impact but prove them a formidable team when it comes to mounting meager opposition to the conservative shift in government.

Gordon's ultimate ambition is to be Prime Minister, a plan Blair supports until their moment comes and rather than putting up a fight against the current Labor leader, Gordon maintains that victory cannot be achieved and refuses to put forward his candidacy. This forever alters their relationship as Blair wins friends and becomes influential among members of his own party and that of the opposition. One needs a meager understanding of foreign policy and the inner workings of government to follow this complex transition of power, but essentially it is about the friendship and rivalry between two ambitious men. There are lighter moments of conversation but most of it is politically-driven. It is tempting to favor one candidate over the other but I did not feel that it was an assault on either politician so much as an exploration of the events that placed Tony Blair at Downing Street.

The politics involved are "liberal" in concept and presentation but the film does not linger on them so much as reference them as being the foundation of the candidates' core principles. This is what each of them believe and whether or not the audience agrees is not the point. It is not a film promoting anything but following the joined paths of two tremendously fascinating men. The acting is quite good -- but I expect nothing less from two such talented players. This was Sheen's first performance as Blair and it is nuanced, allowing the character to start out as rather naive and then reach a point of great self-confidence. Morissey's Gordon has the opposite effect, shifting from confidence to doubt and then disappointment. I have not seen much of the real Gordon Brown but understand that Morrissey has taken great care to adopt his mannerisms. I came in with a pre-bias toward Blair from The Queen, which is another magnificent look into British politics, but in the end felt somewhat bad for his opponent.

There is a surprising lack of content in any form, which makes the appearance of three f-words rather unusual. Mild thematic elements are present with reference to the Labor party leader's death from a heart attack, but the most problem some audiences may have is with the accents. Some of them are rather thick and if you are not a regular viewer of BBC productions, you might strain to catch all of Gordon's comments through his thick northern brogue.  If you can understand it, and are even remotely interested in Blair, it's more than worth your time and considerably less tedious than other, longer productions on the same topic.