The Special Relationship

British actor Michael Sheen portrays real-life figures with an eerie degree of precision. In 2008 he took on the tricky part of down-and-out journo David Frost in Frost/Nixon and absolutely nailed it. Then last year he delivered a remarkable performance as hubristic English soccer coach Brian Clough in the lesser seen drama The Damned United. Now in his the third time depicting the former U.K. PM (first in telemovie The Deal, then in the Helen Mirren-starring The Queen) he mimics Blair's mannerisms, vocal tones and overall personality so perfectly that Blair himself couldn't play the role as well.

As the title would suggest though, this drama follows a relationship, which requires a second party. Step in Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton. He doesn't convince on the same level as Sheen – Clinton's highly distinguishable accent evades Quaid to begin with – but it's not long before the seasoned actor gets in a groove and solidly embodies the beguiling American. Helen McCrory and Hope Davis don't have any difficulty managing their supporting characters, the former as Cherie Blair and the latter as Hillary Clinton. Davis especially is pitch perfect as the intriguing and somewhat imperious U.S. first lady.

Although, predictably, the movie lives and dies by its performances, the screenplay is clever enough to display these people in events that will allow us to connect with them. In the opening act we see how these two world leaders – Clinton the suavely aggressive big brother, Blair the amenable and awestruck little brother – became friends, then we move on to how they dealt with this 'special relationship' during good times and bad. It's a tremendous friendship to witness, how they and their wives react to certain situations, the Lewinsky humiliation of particular note, indicates what we have probably suspected all along: they are, despite their global status and positions of power, human after all.

An insightful drama that invites you into the lives of some very fascinating people.

4 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)

This film is about Tony Blair and his working relationship with Bill Clinton during Blair's years as the British Prime Minister.

Michael Sheen portrays Tony Blair in a confident manner, the differences in his character's radiance between the beginning and the end of the film is easily observable. Hope Davis deserves a special mention. I have always thought she looks like Hillary Clinton, and Hope Davis brilliantly portrays a strong, determined, and able lady that remarkably resembles Hillary Clinton.

A political film may fall into the trap of becoming propaganda, but "The Special Relationship" does not feel anything like that. It portrays the mutual support between the two countries' leaders. It is a engaging story that is remarkably told and acted.

It seems movie reviews of this work are subject to the politics and realities of the event rather than the recreation and acting of this surprisingly good story. Dennis Quaid, who I've never seen do anything above mediocre work usually just mirroring himself, was just outstanding as Bill Clinton. I think it is by far his best piece of acting to date. Equally so for Michael Sheen who I am less familiar with. Both men did a good job of presenting the personalities, complexities and subtleties of each leader. "Hillary Clinton" didn't just look the part - she was Hillary (at least what we know of her). Bill was presented as the smart politician sleaze ball and failed leader of lost promise that he was. Tony Blair is presented as both a promising leader and sympathetic character doomed to eventual destruction. The story was able to project all this in its short 90 minutes. On top of that it was educational to boot. Good job!

The Special Relationship is a disappointing and shallow film about Tony Blair's relationship with two U.S. presidents. Blair is a conundrum and probably only his wife really knows what makes him tick. Peter Morgan has almost become Blair's official biographer in film, however his take on Blair seems superficial and simple-minded. Morgan's Blair is likable, charismatic, loyal and sincere. He's also a devoted family man and a Christian. In this film he is constantly trying to do the right thing and comes off like a cross between a soap-opera character and a secular saint. Most people in Britain wouldn't buy into this interpretation.

The men and women who become the leaders of countries are usually incredibly ambitious, manipulative and complicated. They often like Clinton and Kennedy have potentially self destructive appetites. Blair we are meant to believe is just like a suburban dad. I have always been somewhat cynical about Blair's motives. When I first came across him during an election campaign in 1983 he was a socialist who recommended nationalization and nuclear disarmament. He gradually moved to the right and around 2003 became a fully fledged neocon.

This film suggests that Blair was basically a good guy trying to help the oppressed peoples of the world. For most people in Britain he is someone who put the interests of the United States above those of his own country. Not surprisingly he is still popular in the US but at home he hasn't been forgiven for supporting the Iraq War and for claiming that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. Blair left office with approval ratings in the mid-twenties and British newspaper columnists love to write negative articles about him. The big mystery is what motivated his course of action, until his liaison with Bush he was popular. Since his resignation in 2007 Blair has done well financially out of his unwavering support for US foreign policy. In Polanski's the Ghost Writer it is even suggested that Blair was working for the CIA. It's a mystery this film doesn't help solve. MI5 has gone on record to say that Saddam wasn't a threat to Britain in 2003.

The Special Relationship is a throw-back to the biopics of the 1940s when "great men" were viewed sympathetically. I am looking forward to someday watching a film about the real Tony Blair. He is a more interesting character than the portrait painted in this simple-minded rationalization.

The main point of interest in "The Special Relationship" is in my opinion the changing status throughout the film of the strong friendship between Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. Ahead of his election Blair is portrayed as a fan of the US President, appreciating Clinton's advice and the fact that Bill has taken a great interest in his career. At the beginning they both appear to share a genuine mutual friendship whereas, as both their careers progress, the relationship does deeply change. The Special Relationship is a good dramatization of the America/Great Britain relationships during those very important years. However I had the impression that the film, though well acted and directed, would be more suitable for the TV rather than for the big screen. Overall it's about an insightful representation of UK/US relations, depicted through the exploration of a bromance and, more than everything, a glimpse of the real Tony Blair. Not unforgettable but a quality story for sure.