Dean Spanley

The puzzle is why this film was ever made in the first place, though I hasten to add that I don't mean that as any kind of criticism. It is a gentle, rather whimsical and moving piece which I can't think would find a mass audience anywhere much, though that, too, is not meant as criticism.

To put it all in perspective: thank goodness there are some people around in the film world prepared to produce films of this calibre for apparently no other reason than that they like films and like making good ones. It is a British and New Zealand co-production which astutely avoids all the pitfalls many smaller scale British films fall into. Its lightness of touch is admirable where all too often Brit films are just a tad heavy-handed and suffer as a result. There is only a small cast – just five main characters – and the story itself is superficially slight, yet it packs a punch which touches true emotion rather than mere sentimental whimsy. It would be unfair to pick out any particular performance because none stands out above the others – they are all excellent, as is the gently witty screenplay.

Its evocation of Edwardian Britain is all the better for being understated – this is no 'period piece' and thus avoids the horrors just beneath the surface which many a 'period piece' singularly fails to avoid. My advice to everyone is to watch this and savour everything about it. If you like well-made films, you will probably love this. I shan't bother to provide a synopsis because that would be thoroughly misleading. There's far more to this than meets the eye.

This film was primarily funded by the New Zealand Film Trust (or something like that). Sam Neill is like you have never seen him before (quite frankly I didn't think he had it in him) and Peter O'Toole is simply marvelous. Proving that age does not diminish true talent. The first 1/2 hour seems to drag due to character development, but the final 45 minutes is about the best movies have to offer. If your heart doesn't wrench and tears don't form, then you're simply not human. This is one of the top 5 films I have ever seen and the standard that I will forever hold "art" movies against. You MUST watch this movie. It is one of the finest ever made and one that I will always remember. For a generation that grew up on Tarantino films and the SAW series this will teach them what film-making is all about.

Like a fine wine this film moves its way around the palette. Roles are superbly under-played; silence replaces explosion, wry smile for laughter, lingering looks without raised eyebrows. This is a play of manners, a perfectly pitched study in to the calm veil that shields all from underlying raw emotions.

What's it about? Well it has men, women, dogs and wine; it is set in Edwardian England, and if having watched it you think its about man's best friend, then please avoid having children, let your genes stop with you.

To me Dean Spanley was like one of those magic eye pictures; where you may stare for a long time before the mind relaxes and lets you realise what you are looking at - and in this case it is a real work of art.

Be warned this is a deceptively powerful story - take tissues.

For dog lovers a particular delight (cats get fairly short shrift!) and for those who aren't dog lovers in particular, a pleasant, interesting and gentle journey with some favourite, but frequently under-rated, actors. It's always a pleasure to know long-time favourites - Peter O'Toole and Judy Parfitt - are still busy filling roles that seem made for them. Northam, Neill, Brown and Malik round out a well-balanced cast and are convincing and articulate in excellent Edwardian fashion. This works as well as a fairy tale for those who take the film with a large pinch of salt as, one assumes, it does for those who are believers in such fairy tales. Either way, a charming film, not flashy, not big- budget, not likely to turn up at a box-office near you but a delight nevertheless.

We found Dean Spanley by surfing Comcast On Demand and were delighted by this witty, thought-provoking and emotional film. It's based on a story by Lord Dunsany, a writer who "imaginatively transforms materials from The Arabian Nights, classical mythology, Celtic, Germanic, and Hindu folklore as well as from medieval lays and quest romances." The cast is amazing for a New Zealand film, the script is excellent, the acting is superb and the climactic scene is totally gripping for all that it takes place in a dinner-table conversation. American film makers should take note of how this is done -- but they won't. Peter O'Toole should get an Oscar for his performance as Fisk Senior -- but he won't. We should all be able to see more movies like Dean Spanley -- but I'm not holding my breath. Don't let that keep you from enjoying this terrific movie. Four enthusiastic thumbs-up for Dean Spanley. (Dean is a title, not a name.)