There is a scene at the start of this fictionalized
account of recent US/Anglo history when President Clinton is visiting newly
elected Prime Minister Tony Blair and dismays the PM by claiming that the UK
cannot really claim ‘special relationship’ status with the US as that is the
preserve of more important & crucial allies. Blair insists that the Brits do deserve it
and Clinton, impressed with the younger man’s insistence, agrees.
Based on fact, and I suppose on the written record,
this made-for-TV movie explores how over the years the relationship between two
of the world’s most important Democratic leaders developed. Initially
Clinton the experienced and established politician has the upper hand
and sets the pace, but after Blair proves his friendship and loyalty with his very
public support of Bill at the height of the Lewinsky scandal, the balance of
power changes completely. By the time of the Kosovo crisis when Clinton refuses
to back Blair’s demands for more military support, Blair goes behind the President’s
back and makes a defiant powerful speech in Chicago direct to the American people
resulting in the media crowning Blair as the most popular leader in the west.
In 2000 after the US Election debacle and Bush, aided
by the Supreme Court hijacks the Presidency, Clinton presumes that this will
mean the end of the special relationship between the two countries as it has
been based on a strong personal friendship.
But he has not really understood the true nature of Blair who can't wait to rush off to Washington to ensure that he is one of Bush’s new best friends.
It’s a fascinating movie because although most of the
facts are already in the public domain, seeing some of the background
maneuvering in their relationship opened one’s eyes as to how much in bed the
two Leaders were. Not literally as we now know that Clinton had many others to
do that role for him, and anyway Blair, a very devout Catholic, always comes over almost
as pure as The Blessed Virgin herself.
What was lacking in the storyline towards the end of the movie was the fact that whilst
the US media may have worshiped the Brit PM for his steadfast support of some of
Bush's more crazier policies, the British public certainly did not. And in the UK Blair’s legacy is actually the
fact that he acted far too much in the US’s interest when it wasn’t the will of
the UK. His eagerness to be one the very
few world leaders to support the Iraq war ….
not touched on in this movie ……. but never forgotten by the UK.
Great script by Peter Morgan ('The Queen' & 'Frost/
Nixon') and superb repeat performance of Blair by Michael Sheen who seems to
quite justifiably have the monopoly on playing the ex PM…. even having Helen
McCrory be Cherie Blair yet again. Denis
Quaid in one of his best performances ever was Clinton, and Hope Davis was
chilling accurate with her Hilary Clinton and got her right down to a tee.
This look behind the scenes of power is not perfect, but then again
neither was the ‘special relationship’ itself.
Worth a look though especially if you have feet in both countries like me.
★★★★★★★
★★★★★★★
