Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and Gordon Brown (David Morrissey) become friends as they navigate British politics in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Their allegiance to the Labour party stays firm through ups and downs, and then a decisive moment comes when either of them can put themselves forward for Prime Minister. After heated words, they meet and decide that Blair will take the focus now and Brown will follow as Prime Minister after him. That is exactly what happened.

CRITIQUE

The 2006 film The Queen was a modern docudrama at it’s best- authenticity was balanced with storytelling in a way that emphasized the best of both. As a sort of de facto prequel, this film can boast the same qualities. Truly interesting from beginning to end, The Deal has the intrigue of modern history wrapped up in excellent acting and directing.

Though the topic of British politics may seem to be too far removed from American experience to appeal widely to audiences here, the treatment of the Labour Party versus the Tory is handled in a broad strokes way. By that, I mean that we get a tone that says “politics” instead of “British politics”- you don’t have to know every detail of each party to understand the chronological advance of the careers of the two men at the heart of the story.

These two men, clearly two figures who will have historical legacies, are probably the main reason why this film works as well as it does. Blair and Brown are each charismatic and strong-willed, which is perfect for characters in a film AND for politicians.

In terms of the actors, Michael Sheen and David Morrissey have impressive screen presence here, and Morrissey is more of a physical match for Brown than Sheen is for Blair, but both actors succeed in every scene. The gentle camaraderie of the early sequences seamlessly gives way to the hard-edged, still respectful interaction of the famous May 1994 dinner where they agreed that Blair would become the party’s Prime Minister candidate and Brown would succeed him in exchange for an enormous amount of control over domestic policy.

Frears, shooting before he helmed The Queen, uses camera angles and news footage, perhaps intentionally or not, in a way that distinguishes this from that film that Americans saw first. He utilizes close ups for extra drama, for example, and the end result is completely engaging. The Deal, with it’s captivating history lesson wrapped up in talented directing and acting, is high-quality drama.

THE VIDEO

The Deal is presented in anamorphic widescreen. There are no problems with color or picture; it looks very good.

THE AUDIO

The Deal is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Stereo. Surprisingly, there is no 5.1 DD Surround track. Optional subtitles include English and Spanish.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentary: Writer Peter Morgan and producer Christine Langan join for an interesting track. The tone is completely informative but with a laugh here and there as well. To begin with, the discussion of the actors and their resemblances to the real people they portray is definitely engaging, while I found the fact that a lot of the end of the film- when Blair dictates the statement that reveals Brown will be stepping aside in his favor and the end titles that reveal when Brown finally got his chance at Prime Minister- were added quickly as production ended and real events made the changes necessary fascinating.

A Conversation with Director Stephen Frears-- Frears, disheveled and intelligent, talks at length about this film, responding to the questions of an unseen interviewer. He addresses the topic of how factual the film is, including the opening quote, and how it connects to The Queen. My favorite part is probably when Frears reveals that writer Morgan wants to write a third film, about Blair and Clinton. This extra is definitely worth watching.

Biographies: Text about the lives of Blair and Brown are provided here and they reveal fascinating facts about these two Prime Ministers. The saddest is the death of Brown and his wife’s first baby shortly after birth.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Deal packs a lot of value in its short running time, with performances and directing that engages the audience and a story that will fascinate. The few extras on this disc are good as well. Nearly everyone who isn’t averred to world events will want to watch, so at least rent The Deal.