The Special Relationship

The Special Relationship

The Special Relationship is between two men, United States President Bill Clinton played by Dennis Quaid and British Prime Minister Tony Blair played again by Michael Sheen OBE. In this film, it examines their friendship and relationship over the course of the Bosnian conflict in the later nineties. It also includes their wives. Hillary Rodham Clinton is played perfectly by Hope Davis. Cherie Blair is played well by Helen McCrory. This film would be wonderful to show school children but because of Clinton's misconduct with Monica Lewinsky and the lewd language. It should not shown at least passed over. I love Michael Sheen's Tony Blair and Dennis Quaid does a fabulous Bill Clinton. It's like a platonic love affair between two men both who admire each other but have differences. The writing could be better but there are great moments in the film between the couples as well.

I was surprised to find out how good this political drama was going to be. I did not expect much, but received quite a solid political drama. First I am curious how truthful are these political conversations and events depicted in the film. I always wondered and I am still wondering how much depth script writers have when they write political drama like this? How much real truth do we get? I never had a chance to find that out and probably never will. Plot is interesting and the fact that USA and the UK considered ground troops and full invasion of Serbia is still a novelty to me. I never knew that was on the table. I am sorry they did not go with the full invasion and occupation of Serbia, like they did with Germany and Japan in WWII. It just shows to us how impotent Western powers can be sometimes. Serbia deserved to be demoted to the third! Full stop! Actin is still something to be desired in this film. Only actors who acted Tony Blair and Cherry Blair were up to par. The rest of the actors, I am not sure, I would not cast them again. All in all if you like political drama this is a film for you.

So, as far as the film stands as a film, it is ok, decent acting, some nice shots all in all, a film. Now, the reality of what happened is not portrayed here, Tony Blair seems to be the generic good guy just trying his best whereas in the real world the only reason these men aren't in prison for war crimes is because we would then have to openly admit that we invaded a country based on lies, which will never happen. So if you can watch this as a work of fiction it becomes much better, but essentially just a film to stroke the ego's of war criminals to try and justify their actions.

The movie starts with Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) coming over to America to learn from their experiences and try to reinvigorate the Labour Party. He develops a close relationship with Bill Clinton (Dennis Quaid). Then the relationships get more complex, and the movie ends with a press briefing from the real George W and Blair. The movie is looking at this mostly from the point of view of Tony Blair. He starts off as an almost giddy schoolboy in awe of the great Bill Clinton. Michael Sheen is the best thing in this movie. He is probably the best person for the role. His superior acting skills is on full display. Dennis Quaid is not as good. He comes off as mimicking the president. Hope Davis is quite effective as Hillary. It's a pretty good recitation of the Clinton-Blair years concentrating on Northern Ireland, Lewinsky, and Kosovo from a 90 minutes HBO TV movie.

I literally thought it was about b. clinton and intern monia lewinsky. that would have been better. not the worst, but, it just didn't grab me. especially in relation to Blair. I'm tired of seeing him as a boy scout. let's dig deeper people!

The joy of writer Peter Morgan's films about British politics is the seductive plausibility of their imaginative reality. Instead of brimming with vicious cynicism, he's more interested in inventing a human dimension behind the strange public faces of figures such as Blair, Brown, and the royal family. In this film, his third featuring Martin Sheen playing Blair as an over-eager schoolboy, the greatest delight came in the deft (and surprisingly soft) portrayal of his wife Cherie. And yet the limits of the approach are maybe more apparent in this film than in the other two, both of which focused on his earlier career. Morgan takes his script in the right direction - to explore how Blair came to support the neo-conservative policies of Geroge W. Bush (although portraying Bill Clinton as Blair's social democratic conscience is frankly a bit rich). But the absence of any focus on British domestic policy seems a bit limiting. Blair's recently published memoirs indicate that a man who once a popular hero who saved the British Labour party from self-destruction now appears in agreement with the right on more than just foreign policy. And in spite of the attractive thesis of Morgan's story, I don't think that this can be entirely explained in terms of personal chemistry. But it's fun to imagine that it was.

As we are about to attack another country under the guise of protecting human rights, this HBO movie hits the spot. Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, two fake progressives, shape the world according to their interests and political advantages. Tony Blair, as portrayed in this flick, is a naive, almost comical in his ineptitude, character. After all the unfulfilled promises and outright lies it is not surprising how unpopular he became in Great Britain. Blindly following both American presidents, but all this time building his own legacy. And he built it all right. When he left the office his approval rating was embarrassingly low. After the horrendous war campaign waged on Serbia in 1999 ( based on intentionally inflated numbers of victims, that were never found), and attack on Iraq( based on non-existing WMD), Mr. Blair is lucky that he didn't end up on trial for war crimes himself. God help us all with leaders like these people.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie on DVD and draw the obvious comparison with Michael Sheens performance of tony Blair in the 'Queen' and of how Blair was portrayed in 'The Ghost Writer'. 'W' also springs to mind about George Bush and of course Peter Morgans other recent work about a political leader, 'Frost Nixon'. At first I was watching a political comedy where Tony Blair was destined to become an Americanized Mr Bean. Dennis Quaid, as professional an actor as he is, was way too overpowering in the role of Bill Clinton who I am sure is a lot more gentler as a guy than the film portrayed. The film ends up with us feeling a degree of sympathy for both Blair and particularly Clinton, though I doubt the reality of this. How special this relationship was compared with Thatcher and Regan or Blair and Bush, its difficult to say but it was absorbing to see the facts put through the 'mill' and an almost objective appraisal given of the problems raised by both leaders. Was the French President Chirac really that pompous? Were the leaders that close on a personal level? Actually, I think Tony Blair must be thinking himself - gosh that guy Sheen acts me than I do myself. He is certainly a very likable 'duplicate' of the real thing and perhaps a more acceptable version. a lot of recent history is dealt with in this 90 minute movie, as others have commented, nothing at all with that, the film is useful if only for English education in hearing English and American language side by side and a terrific dose of history as I have mentioned. Might get Michael Sheen a much deserved Oscar nomination. As for Dennis Quaid, as AL gore might have once said - you are NO Bill Clinton! Got to say the two ladies playing the wives of Cheree and Hilary are almost comedy like and the script to some extent is more appropriate to a TV sit com than a movie suitable for DVD or cinema release. Not knocking the movie. Its very watchable, not in any way tedious, quite funny at times and keep the kids out of the room at certain times when sexual innuendos are mentioned with reference to Bill Clinton's 'you know what'! Enjoy!

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.