The Deal (2003)

IMDb

The initial installment in writer Peter Morgans 'Tony Blair trilogy'. This film focuses on how the upstart centrist Tony Blair, not the old-school party stalwart Gordon Brown, rose to become leader of the Labour party after the unexpected 1994 death of (the apparently much respected) John Smith. What makes the film so fascinating is the dynamic between Blair and Brown, the two where good friends, they shared an office together after having both been first elected to Parliament in 1983. For a long time Brown was seen as destined for greatness in Labour circles, very smart, brilliant even, quite capable and hardworking, but possessing a prickly Scottish personality. Upon first coming to Parliament Blair was considered something of an oddball, even an anomaly, Labour was very left wing at the time containing socialists (and as the film implies) even communists in its ranks, while Tony was a Third Way centrist. Four consecutive defeats for Labour lead to an understandable appetite within the party for someone with wider appeal to take the rains of leadership, and Tony Blair fitted the needs of that time and place perfectly. However Brown and his faction would need to be placated, thus the titular 'Deal'. What's interesting about this deal is that Blair gave Brown such unprecedented domestic power as Chancellor the Exchequer that he essentially had nothing to do, thusly he turned his attention to world affairs and was able to establish himself as quite the statesman. I find this kind of 'inside baseball' political story quite fascinating but I think the personal element is what drivers the film. It's the whole Kennedy/Nixon thing, the charmed charismatic one so good at the politics and the socially awkward, kind of angry one so brilliant at policy but horrible with people. The movies very specific to a certain nation and era, but also timeless in a vaguely Joseph Campbell archetype kind of way. I recommend, but if you don't like movies that are basically all talking and political maneuvering, you'd better pass.