DEAN SPANLEY

New Zealand/UK, 2008, 103 minutes, Colour.
Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Peter O’ Toole, Judy Parfitt, Dudley Sutton.
Directed by Toa Fraser.

What a pleasant surprise. For those who like their films visually appealing and literate, intelligent and delightful, this will be a most satisfying entertainment. It is G-rated though it is not a children's film.

The screenplay is an imaginative expansion by Alan Sharp (Rob Roy) of a small novel of 1936 by . The book is principally conversations between the narrator of the novel and the Anglican dean who comes to dinner to discuss reincarnation.

Filmed principally in Britain in locations that recreate the Edwardian period in London and in the countryside (with some interiors and scenes filmed in New Zealand), the director is playwright, Toa Frazer, whose previous film, No 2, set in Auckland, acknowledged his Fijian heritage, while this film acknowledges his British ancestry.

Jeremy Northam is expert at playing genial British suave. It is 1904, his brother has been killed in the Boer War and his widowed father, typically tyrannical with the world revolving round him, lives alone though he has an extremely patient housekeeper (Judy Parfitt). His son visits him every Thursday.

They see an ad in the paper for a talk on reincarnation and go to listen. At this stage, one should say that the father is played by Peter O' Toole at his very best, amazing to listen to and a master class to watch. He has some wonderful lines delivered with unconsciously arrogant panache (especially when he wakes up at the end of the lecture and responds to 'Any questions?'). Father and son meet two characters at the talk, one a brash colonial who is a dealer, able to track down and negotiate whatever one needs. He is played (and spoken) by Bryan Brown as Bryan Brown, always a pleasure with his Aussie ironic humour and kindness.

The other is the rather humourless Dean Spanley, played straight by Sam Neill, especially when we and the others get to know him. He has more than a passing interest in reincarnation – which involves another life as a dog.

The conversations are interesting and entertaining and, when Peter O'Toole turns up for a meal and becomes involved in the Dean's story, the film becomes quite moving, especially in the father finally acknowledging that one son has died and the other has devoted himself to him.

No special effects, no action sequences, just a delight for ear and eye, for the emotions and for the mind.

1.An entertaining and literate film? Mentally stimulating? Intelligent? Humorous?

2.The original book, solely conversations? The screenwriter creating further story, characters, a dynamic about father and son relationships?

3.1904, the aftermath of the Boer War, Edwardian peace, homes and gardens, libraries, merchants and shops, meals, costume and décor? The musical score?

4.The photography, the focus on characters, dialogue, a dialogue-driven drama, visual compositions, atmosphere and period?

5.Henslow Fisk and his voice-over? In himself, his age, middle age, his lifestyle? His brother and the bonds from the past? His brother’s death (and this being visualised throughout the film)? His mother’s grief and death, his father and his lack of emotion, his harsh comments? Henslow’s bearing, clothes, his hat? The Thursday visits to his father, meeting with Mrs Brimley? The introduction to the characters and the situation?

6.The first visit, Mrs Brimley ironing the paper? Her comments about his irascible father? Meek in his father’s presence? His father being contrary and blunt, referring to him as Young Fisk? His lack of ability to express emotion? The issue of going out or not? Arguments? His new wheelchair? The decision to go to the lecture? Wrather and his assistance?

7.The theme of reincarnation, the advertisement in the paper, the introduction of the theme? The Indian setting in the UK, the emphasis on cricket? The host, the swami and his clothes, his lecture? Fisk asleep? Waking up and asking where he was? The further questions? Seeing Dean Spanley at the back? Wrather and his presence at the lecture?

8.The character of Wrather, Bryan Brown’s style, colonial, accent, humour, the irony? At the talk, his friendship with the Fisks, giving his card? His job as a provider?

9.The introduction to Dean Spanley? Religious, his formal clothes and collar? Quiet at the back? The questions? At the club, his drink? Tokay and Fisk’s reaction to it as syrup? The Hungarian background? Its being opened by royal decree …? The servant at the club? His kindness towards Fisk and asking about the death of his son, offering sympathy, Fisk’s harsh reaction? The dean’s own supply of tokay? The dean as prim, Sam Neill playing it straight? The later meeting with Fisk, the tree, pursuing the cat? Fisk and his comment about coincidence?

10.Henslow and his interest in the dean, his curiosity, the issue of reincarnation, offering the invitation, promising the tokay, going to the shops to buy it, going to Wrather, Wrather and his ability to supply the tokay? The issue of his father and Thursdays and not meeting his son?

11.The table conversations, the dean’s relish of the tokay, sniffing it, the anticipation? The meal, the dean loosening up, talking, explaining all his activities as a dog, his dog behaviour? The further meals, the tokay and Wrather supplying it – and Henslow playing pool with him, the discussions? The stories and their tying in with Fisk’s story of his dog Wag, his disappointment in its disappearance, not having another dog? His repeating the stories about Wag?

12.Wrather, the pool games, obtaining the tokay, his interest, wanting to come to a meal, the bet, his meeting the dean, the conversation during the meal, his blunt questions, his irony and using aphorisms with reference to dogs? His jokes? His paying up the money to Henslow for interrupting?

13.The invitation to Fisk to come to the meal, meeting the dean, listening to his dog talk, the fascination, his being moved by the episodes about the dog, his being Wag? The story of the dog’s friend, their going out together, his being shot (and the visualisation of the shepherd and the threats with the gun)? Fisk’s grief at hearing the story of Wag’s death, his being moved, weeping, with Mrs Brimley, his son’s photo? Calling his son Henslow?

14.The effect of the father and son bond, the past relationship, the change, emotion?

15.Mrs Brimley, her long support of the family, of Fisk? Cooking him hotpot and nothing else? Cooking the meal and planning it for the dean’s dinner? Her friendship with Henslow, her comments? The effect of Fisk’s weeping? Her dead husband and his silence, explaining the situation to his empty chair?

16.The dean, his disappearing after the dinners? His intimations that he had met Wrather – and the implication that this might have been the other dog in the days of Wag?

17.Reincarnation as a serious topic – or a whimsical ploy for exploring character?

18.The presentation of family relationships, the aftermath of the Victorian era? Edwardian England?