Supelice Dreadfully Boring

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Emil Bakkum The film The Deal elaborates on the relationship of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown during the first years of their political careers. Both men are extremely ambitious, and strive for the party leadership. However their efforts are strikingly different, because of their opposite characters. Blair is eager, always willing to try his luck, and if necessary to subject and serve under a stronger leader. On the psychological level Blair is the extrovert politician, with the ability to show empathy, thus fostering excellent external contacts. He has a disliking for party principles, that might isolate him from society. Brown openly vents his ambitions, and refuses to do tasks, that are below his standards. He is the introvert person, that values the party principles and defends them with ardor and sometimes coarseness (the Labour Party is an association of workmen). Evidently the film The Deal is above all things a character study, and the political background is of only secondary relevance. The story could equally well have portrayed two men, competing for the position of head of the sales department. The political setting is highlighted mainly by the inclusion of footage from live television recordings. For instance we witness a congress of the Labour Party in the eighties, where the crowd sings their hymn The Red Flag. In the mutual relationship Brown makes clear to Blair, that he (Brown) is the primary candidate for the position of party leader. Blair accepts with a mocking overtone. In the mean time party leader Neil Kinnock is defeated by Thatcher, and is replaced by John Smith. When Smith suffers a deadly heart attack, the competition between Brown and Blair reaches its climax. Blair publicly announces his availability as successor, and Brown reacts furiously. He raves: "We had an understanding!" However, it seems that Blair has the better testimonials. His extrovert attitude makes him attractive to the so-called floating voters, who are as yet irresolute. This brings him the support of many party officials, perhaps the majority. Brown has the backing of the traditional Labour strongholds, and a stalemate is forthcoming. Borwn had hoped that the party would prefer him as a matter of course, and apparently fears the confrontation with Blair. Some party officials reproach Brown, that he had never challenged the leadership of Smith. His qualities are called in question. Eventually it is Blair, who reaches out to Brown, and offers him a strong position in a cabinet under his leadership. In addition a vague agreement is made, that Brown will be Blairs successor - rather strange, since both men are of the same age. It reflects the consideration of a senior party official: "What Brown needs, is hope". Surprisingly, Brown accepts, although the job is below his own standard. The film ends here. In 1997 the Labour Party under Blair won the elections, and remained in power until 2009. The Labour Party was reformed, and shifted to the right wing of the social-democracy. Later Blair succumbed to the wishes of Bush with regard to the invasion of Iraq, which made his position within the party untenable. However, even then Brown was unable to topple him. I think that The Deal gives an excellent portrayal of the personal drama, that is attached especially to political careers. In politics a failed candidate can not apply with a competitor, like in business: it is now or never. If you appreciate this type of films, you may consider seeing my reviews of Im Schatten der Macht (Willy Brandt), Jean Jaures, Therese et Leon (Leon Blum), Changer la vie! (Francois Mitterrand), Nynke (Piter Jelles Troelstra) or Den Uyl en de affaire Lockheed (Joop den Uyl). Warning: English subtitles are the odd exception, sorry.

a_2 The beauty of 'The Deal' is clearly the story, and for many a surprising and unknown real story. Peter Morgan does what he does best again by keeping the screenplay no nonsense and captures the delicacies of the time brilliantly. While many who may have in depth knowledge of the matter could have differing opinions on its deviations from reality, the movie is a very fine quality drama from a team which has given gems like Queen and Frost/Nixon.Michael sheen is fantastic again and David Morrissey is more impressive than sheen. A story very admirably directed and acted, this story captures politics and drama behind a real story joyfully - a match made in heaven!

Matthew Kresal They were called "the future" within the UK's Labour Party. For twelve years, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair had risen through the ranks with the goal of modernizing a party that was a shadow of a former self. In 1994, their friendship turned into rivalry when the chance to lead the party presented itself to them. The Deal is the film version of that story: their friendship during their rise through party ranks, the rivalry that ensued and the dinner that decided their respective fates.The Deal is headed by two fine actors playing two very real figures. Michael Sheen shines in the first of, to date, three performances as Tony Blair. Over the course of the film, Sheen plays Blair from first time MP to the man who holds the "big job" in his grasp and, as a result, his performance has an intriguing arch through it. Then there is David Morrissey as Gordon Brown, the man with "Labour leader" written all over him. Morrissey's performance has very much the same arch as Sheen's though towards the end, as paths diverge, Morrissey's performance becomes more moody if not downbeat. There respective performances are wonderfully contrasted in scenes such as their walks through London streets, their argument after Brown realizes that Blair intends to run for the leadership and the dinner where the film's title takes place. Together these two performances carry the film on its journey across over a decade of British political history as they meet first as office mates to friends and then rivals for power.There is a fine supporting cast as well. Leading the supporting cast are Frank Kelly as Blair and Brown's mentor and Labour leader John Smith and Paul Rhys as Peter Mandelson who ultimately becomes something of a king-maker when the two become rivals for leadership. Important players in the drama include Elizabeth Berrington as Cherie Blair and Dexter Fletcher as Brown's aide Charlie Whelan. The supporting cast gives Sheen and Morrissery fine actors to bounce off of and make their performances better while being given a chance to shine themselves.The film's production values are good, considering the film's low budget. The film was mostly shot on location which gives the film a strong sense of reality to it. This sense of reality is strongly heightened by the cinematography of Alwin Küchler, especially in the scenes set inside the halls of power at the film's climatic dinner scene. The film also makes fine use of its low budget by using a wealth of archive footage that showcases the events that shaped the rise of the films two protagonists that not only informs the viewer but gives the entire film a larger sense of scope. Last but not least is the score from composer Nathan Larson that, while sparsely used, makes a huge impact nonetheless. These various elements in front of and behind the camera, under the splendid direction of Stephen Frears. Frears direction and attention to the drama gives the viewer the feeling of watching history taking place in front of them. There are only a few instances where this sense of reality is broken such as if the viewer pays attention to the anachronistic cars during the sequences where Blair and Brown walk through London streets though I suspect most viewers might not even notice them. Overall though Frears direction, and the production values as a whole, work and work splendidly.Last but not least is Peter Morgan's fine script. Real life dramas can often be dull but Morgan takes what could be a boring story of recent politics into a fascinating drama about two rising politicians. At its heart is not the politics of the two men but their friendship. It is a friendship built in a cramped office with a shared goal of modernizing the Labour Party. Their friendship is tested as personal ambitions and weaknesses turn into a rivalry that could either make them or destroy them forever. It all comes down to a simple dinner scene that is, despite us knowing its outcome, a fascinating few minutes where Morgan brings the journey to its climax. Along the way Morgan gives the actors fine dialogue that add a human dimension to this rise to power. The result is a fine script that illuminates two leaders and their rise to power.The Deal then is an illumination of recent history. From the performances of Michael Sheen and David Morrissey as Blair and Brown, respectively, to the supporting cast and the production under the direction of Stephen Frears to Peter Morgan's script the film is a fascinating journey. It is the journey of Blair and Brown: their friendship during their rise through party ranks, the rivalry that ensued and the dinner that decided their respective fates.

paul2001sw-1 In some ways, the story of Gordon Brown and Tony Blair is profoundly uninteresting. Two men with a similar political philosophy consider challenging for the leadership of the party, eventually decide not to compete with one another but subsequently (in events not covered by this film) fall out. Of course, there are many "what ifs", but politics is full of these. The absence of a philosophical clash, or a deep personal emnity, makes their deal in some senses trivial - one guy stood aside for the other, so what? If any other job than that of potential Prime Minister had been at stake, would anyone care? Because of that job, their decision clearly had some significance. But politicians make deals all the time with one another - and had we not a media obsessed with political minutiae, that history might well have been forgotten. According to the briefings, it certainly hasn't been forgotten by Brown - but that doesn't necessarily make it important.Stephen Frears' film tries hard to reconstruct these events, but it fails to really gain life, telling us what we know already without really adding anything new. David Morrissey, as Brown, is less convincing than when given free rein to play a fictional politician as he did recently in 'State of Play'; Michael Sheen, as Blair, is always just a little bit more callow and hollow than the real thing. The story suggests there was little real friendship between the two, which reduces the tale to a series of empty manoeverings. And while it's fun to see representations of various political characters, we get too little sense of their whole lives. There are a few nice touches (Blair's instinctive family values, Brown's genuine grief at John Smith's death) but 'The Deal' still feels like a compilation of yesterday's newspapers. History will certainly remember both men, but their deal will surely rate only a footnote. For good or ill, Blair stood and won - and that's all we really need to know.