This movie gives an entertaining and intriguing glimpse at two recent leaders of Britain and America, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, and how they connected on a personal and political level. We have heard a great deal about the Bush-Blair relationship but the Clinton-Blair connection has not been the same grist for the mill. They are kindred spirits in politics but their personal styles are another matter. So the clashes seem inevitable as Clinton comes across as an insightful but boorish President to Blair's calculating idealism.
Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton gives a superb performance as the ex-President, while Michael Sheen is the eager-to-learn protégé, Tony Blair. One forgets that it is Quaid and not Clinton on the screen; the portrayal is that close to the mark. The intense Blair is more difficult to pin down but Michael Sheen has played Blair before and again gives a competent performance.
Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair and Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton fit their supporting characters as well, particularly Hope Davis as the former First Lady. Davis conveys the steely determination of the ambitious Rodham-Clinton. McCrory is the anti-establishment spouse who is more attuned to taking pot shots from the sidelines.
All in all, an interesting take on the two leaders and their spouses as they wade through domestic and international crises, ranging from Kosovo and Northern Ireland to the Lewinsky affair. This is a movie that I would readily watch again. It deals in a compelling way with two very fascinating men whose stories are still fresh in the public mind but whose legacies are still undecided.
Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton gives a superb performance as the ex-President, while Michael Sheen is the eager-to-learn protégé, Tony Blair. One forgets that it is Quaid and not Clinton on the screen; the portrayal is that close to the mark. The intense Blair is more difficult to pin down but Michael Sheen has played Blair before and again gives a competent performance.
Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair and Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton fit their supporting characters as well, particularly Hope Davis as the former First Lady. Davis conveys the steely determination of the ambitious Rodham-Clinton. McCrory is the anti-establishment spouse who is more attuned to taking pot shots from the sidelines.
All in all, an interesting take on the two leaders and their spouses as they wade through domestic and international crises, ranging from Kosovo and Northern Ireland to the Lewinsky affair. This is a movie that I would readily watch again. It deals in a compelling way with two very fascinating men whose stories are still fresh in the public mind but whose legacies are still undecided.