Film Reviews

Dean Spanley

• Rating:
• Director: Toa Fraser.
• Starring: Peter O'Toole, Sam Neill, Jeremy Northam, Brian Brown.
• Details: New Zealand/UK / 100mins (G).

"Do you believe in transmigration?" A nomination for the Oddest Idea For A Movie 2008, the Edwardian-based Dean Spanley is also a shoe-in for the sweetest. After a lecture on reincarnation, Fisk Jr. (Northam) meets the unusual Dean Spanley (Neill), a priest with a taste for rare wines and a hatred of cats. As they chat over a glass, Fisk witnesses a transformation in the tight-lipped priest: he seems to withdraw into himself and hints at a previous life as a dog. Mmm. Running parallel to this is Fisk Jr.'s father - Sisk Sr (O'Toole) - a cantankerous old fart who reminisces about a spaniel he once had as a child. Are the two stories linked? Dean Spanley runs for approximately 100 minutes, and for 85 of those I had no idea what was going on, what was happening or why it was happening. The final 15 minutes reveals all, though, and it's worth waiting for. Adapted from Lord Dunsay's novel, this odd little film has so much going for it (zippy quips being the standout) it's easy to ignore the bizarre plot. Although Northam is in almost every scene, he really doesn't have a lot to do but watch as the events unfold; his co-stars O'Toole and Neill steal the movie. O'Toole’s reinvention continues unabashed here, and it's obvious he revels in playing this old man who refuses to acknowledge his sadness over losing his eldest son in the Boer War. But it's Neill who stands out: this role is difficult to play and it's a measure of the actor's talent that he pulled it off without looking stupid. Not for everyone, this.

Review by Gavin Burke