A Special Relationship

Directed by: Richard Loncraine

(2010)

The story of this film revolves around two of the most influential leaders in the world, Bill Clinton, the former President of the United States of America, and Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It focused on the “special” relationship between the two leaders, before, during, and after they took positions. Clinton showed his support to Blair before he got elected as Prime Minister and continued to support and influence Blair as he took hold of his position.

I got quite intrigued with the title of the film at first since “A Special Relationship” didn’t really describe Clinton’s relationship with his wife nor Blair’s relationship with his wife. Instead, it described the relationship of Clinton with Blair and vice versa, since World War II. The film drew several reactions from the class, as if we’re watching a romantic comedy movie where Clinton and Blair acted as lovers. But it was clear; the movie showcased the relationship between the USA and the UK, with their leaders being able to influence each other. Clinton got involved in a scandal and since Blair was known to be a very close friend of him, he was asked by the media about it. Blair gave a “safe” statement to the press and was continued to be liked by many. UK’s Prime Minister gained a lot of supporters, for his intentions were clear, which is for the betterment of the people in UK and its allies. It was his choice if he would get himself influenced by Clinton in decision-making, at first, he always agrees with what Clinton says but eventually, he learned to stand on his own and make his own decisions without the influence of his “special” friend. Both of them learned to manage their relationship throughout their terms since it is not just a political relationship. I believe that all leaders should maintain a harmonious relationship with other leaders but they should take note that they still need to draw a line between a personal relationship and a political relationship since it would greatly affect the decisions that would be made. If leaders are united, it is for sure that it would be easier to assist countries who need help and aid. But the downside of this is that when a war comes out, it would be more likely that countries which have special relationships with other countries would have more allies to help them out during the outbreak of the war which would result to a higher number of casualties.

I have to say that Michael Sheen really looks a lot like Tony Blair and he did a very good job in portraying the role of the prime minister, even his mannerisms were evident in the film. Since it is an HBO film and it was just released recently (last year), it has clear and good audio and visual effects. The film’s setting is dated back from 1992, and the producers of the film did a great job in making everything look like it’s back in the 90s.

RATING:

Source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWHjHMrRiE4