The Special Relationship (2010)

Directed by: Richard Loncraine | 88 minutes | drama, history | Actors: Michael Sheen, Dennis Quaid, Hope Davis, Demetri Goritsas, Adam Godley, Marc Rioufol, Mark Bazeley, Helen McCrory, Nancy Crane, John Schwab, Kerry Shale, Lara Pulver, Eric Meyers, Rufus Wright, Matthew Marsh

‘The Special Relationship’ is an American political drama, the title of which has a double meaning. It refers not only to the age-old bond between England and the United States, but also to the personal friendship between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton. The film begins with the first meeting between Blair and Clinton and ends with Clinton’s retreat from the political arena. In between, we experience the end of the Northern Ireland conflict, the Lewinsky affair and the events in Kosovo.

It produces a drama that rarely convinces. It’s less because of what he offers than because of what’s missing. ‘The Special Relationship’ lacks the intelligence of ‘The Deal’, the dramatic depth of ‘The Queen’ and the intellectual content of ‘The West Wing’. Instead, we see two government leaders speaking simplisticly about political affairs, acting as if England and the United States have all the wisdom in the world. Moreover, these heads of government decide everything independently, whereby whisperings from advisers and party members are irrelevant.

This simplification only becomes really disturbing when it comes to Kosovo. Blair sees on television (in bed, with a crying wife next to him) what is happening in Kosovo. ‘Damn it’, you see Tony thinking, ‘that such a thing is just possible’. And then he will take action to stop all that terrible suffering. The idea that a head of government’s personal feelings play a decisive role in something as complex as meddling in a foreign civil war is not to be taken seriously.

What also does not cooperate are the strong anti-European tone, the mediocre dialogues (which are mainly used to inform the viewer about things that the government leaders themselves have known for a long time) and the fact that Dennis Quaid does not have the youthful appearance of Clinton, but rather comes across as a self-righteous rural philosopher.

It is surprising that quality broadcaster HBO is responsible for this mediocre product. The film looks fine, the acting is good and the archive footage is an enrichment. Those who don’t drop out because of the simplicity might still enjoy this one, but the more developed viewer we refer directly to ‘The West Wing’.