Deal Down

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Stephen Frears and Peter Morgan's The Deal, which came out on DVD last Tuesday, is about the complex political relationship between Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and Gordon Brown (David Morrissey), and a reported deal between the two regarding the 1994 election of a new Labor Party leader. I've been keen to see it since the early days of The Queen, which is Part 2 of Frears-Morgan Blair trilogy. Frears once told me that The Deal is way too secular to be appreciated by an American audience. Is it?

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 1, 2008 at 4:01 PM

comment #1

p.Vice says ...

Well, at least the title implies that something actually happens in this one. HUGE improvement.

Posted by p.Vice at August 1, 2008 4:12 PM

comment #2

nemo says ...

What's the last title in the trilogy?

The Queen. The Deal. . . .

The Poodle.

Posted by nemo at August 1, 2008 4:16 PM

comment #3

lazespud says ...

"Secular?"

I'm assuming he means it's really focused in the minutiae of Brit politics. If true, secular seems to be the wrong word.

Posted by lazespud at August 1, 2008 4:23 PM

comment #4

AndrewOwens says ...

A little knowledge about how British goverment works, and maybe a little on who the main players are should be enough for most viewers. It's very inside the game, but that can be a pleasure (like when I watch West Wing, I get some insight into the machinations of how things work over there).

It's basically a low budget TV movie, but if you liked The Queen it's a no brainer.

Posted by AndrewOwens at August 1, 2008 4:35 PM

comment #5

T. S. Idiot says ...

As a look at the way compromise and ambition battle in out in politics, it's much more interesting than The Queen, and Gordon Brown, at least as played by David Morissey, is much more interesting than Liz.

Posted by T. S. Idiot at August 1, 2008 5:17 PM

comment #6

Hallick says ...

"I'm assuming he means it's really focused in the minutiae of Brit politics. If true, secular seems to be the wrong word."

He may have meant to say "insular", which is the word that seems a lot more fitting.

I don't follow British politics, but I still like the inside baseball material of their political dramas like the House of Cards mini-series. Smart people making creative and complicated moves (or stupid people trying to do the same) appeals to me regardless of the context.

Posted by Hallick at August 1, 2008 6:18 PM

comment #7

madskrilla says ...

I just read that Brown would get slaughtered in the general election. Blair, Iraq and all, is polling better than Brown as fantasy candidate for PM, he would lose, but not as bad as Brown, he'd get about 10% more, even after Iraq and everything. Tells you something huh?

Posted by madskrilla at August 1, 2008 8:32 PM

comment #8

BurmaShave says ...

Morrissey killed it for me, though I've never been impressed with him. It does seem in retrospect he nailed Gordon Brown though.

Posted by BurmaShave at August 1, 2008 11:01 PM

comment #9

btwnproductions says ...

It's an absorbing, 75-minute telefilm, one that HBO has been running for months. But even at that digestible length I doubt the more general audience that lapped up THE QUEEN would go for it. You don't need the "prequel" to enjoy the other, which has a broader scope.

Posted by btwnproductions at August 2, 2008 8:49 AM

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