It’s always a tricky act to make a movie about real-life leaders, especially if they are still fresh in people’s memories. Oliver Stone didn’t quite pull it off with his George W. Bush biopic W., despite  having greater success with past biopics like Nixon and JFK. In The Special Relationship, however, director Richard Loncraine (My One and Only) and writer Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon) succeeded beyond my expectations in portraying the very unique and compelling relationship between two former powers, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President Bill Clinton.

The 90s was a brave new world in many ways. Emerging from the decades-long Cold War,  both the United States and Britain had finally thrown off the conservative governments and principles of the 80s, embodied in Thatcherism in the UK and Reaganism in the US. Thus began a new kind of relationship between two leaders and two progressive, centre-left governments in the already so-called “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Like any good story – and any good romance – the heart and success of The Special Relationship lies in its leading characters, and in Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon) as the affable, somewhat dorky Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Dennis Quaid (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) as the fiery, charming President Bill Clinton, the movie has struck some serious pay dirt. Both Sheen and Quaid are brilliant in their respective roles, channeling the voices, mannerisms and even the emotions of their subjects with a studied expertise. Quaid, who has recently been a favourite of mine for (generally good natured) ridicule after his entertainingly cheesy performance in G.I. Joe (“We got a lot of Joes in that submarine!”), surprises with a an absolutely riveting and accurate portrayal of legendary Bill Clinton. He mimics Clinton’s Arkansan drawl to sheer perfection, commanding attention with a magnetism and fury the former President was well renown for. Sheen, on the other hand, is the perfect complement to Quaid’s arrogance,as the exceedingly polite, but power-driven Tony Blair.  Certainly no stranger to the role, Sheen eloquently imitates Blair in both expression and voice (not to mention his iconic sheepish smile), but bravely delves right to the heart of who Blair really is – a man of deep conviction, compassion and faith, whose sincere desire to change the world for the better would also lead tragically to his greatest mistake.

The superb acting extends not only to the two lead roles but also their wives, Cherie Blair played by Helen McCrory (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and Hillary Clinton played by Hope Davis (Synecdoche New York), both of whom capture the very essence of their characters.

The film moves along at a cracking pace, interspersing intimate private scenes of Blair and Clinton with montages of news snippets, famous speeches and political backroom talk. Combining the documentarian urgency of a Frontline special with the emotional and narrative punch of a powerful drama, director Richard Loncraine takes us through such signature moments as the beginnings of the Northern Ireland peace talks, the Monika Lewinsky scandal, and most compellingly the intervention in Kosovo and the Balkans. Those less familiar with these figures and their political history should have no trouble keeping up and staying engaged as Loncraine captures the atmosphere surrounding these momentous events with great clarity.

It’s important to be very wary of how  political giants are portrayed in films such as this, as too often they hue toward a particular message or agenda they want to promote. Fortunately, The Special Relationship mostly resists such easy temptations and reveals its core characters as fully rounded, emotionally engaging human beings, struggling with the great possibilities and burdens of political leadership in the modern era. Both Clinton and Blair are on full display as they are revealed at their most intimate moments and, both flawed in their own ways, yet often grasping at, and sometimes seizing, greatness.

As a dedicated junkie (and student) of politics and international relations, it’s likely that The Special Relationship resonates with me in a way that it wouldn’t with those not as politically inclined.  But even if you’re just a little fascinated with by these two fascinating figures and their legacies, then The Special Relationship is definitely a film not to miss.