What at first I thought would be a "light comedy" turned into an engaging and enjoyable film. The theme of "companionship" seems to resonate throughout the film. Seen through the eyes of Fisk the younger (Jeremy Northam)we are taken on a journey of understanding: what causes a person to emotionally "shut-down"? Fisk the younger's conversations with his father (Peter O'Toole) are emotionally strained and at best, simply "dutiful". As the only surviving family member, he visits his father each Thursday to fulfill his role as loving son. The father - "Fisk senior" - is crotchety, opinionated and without even enough love to call his son by his first name - Henslowe. Instead, he refers to his son as a headmaster would refer to a student: Fisk junior. (Made me think of O'Toole in "Goodbye Mr. Chips"!)But Henslowe is looking for a way to breakthrough with his relationship with his father and is given the chance by meeting Dean Spanley (Sam Neill) when Henslowe, his father, and Spanley all attend a discussion on "The Transmigration of Souls". There begins a regular meeting between Spanley and Henslowe - helped along by Henslowe agreeing to provide a drink called "Tokay" to Spanley, in exchange for Spanley relating his views on Re-incarnation. What follows is not what you think, but allows Henslowe to possibly understand why his father acts as he does. Without going into more detail and possibly spoiling it, I found this film to be superb in its acting. Northam is the anti-thesis of his father. O'Toole is stern and unloving, yet you still sense he misses those who have died. Northam is loving, yet not "whimpy" - he has a backbone. You sense at one point that the relationship is going to explode, but it doesn't. Neill is wonderful as the slightly eccentric Spanley. Brian Brown adds the touch of whimsy as the "soldier of fortune", who provides Henslowe with his needed "Tokay". I am always amazed to find these films and wonder why I never heard of them before. It is a wonderful study in human emotion and the longing for companionship - whether in dogs or humans. And, it is a triumph when we breakthrough and understand another persons pain and help them overcome. There is so much going on in this film: the study of how each one deals with loss. How we each deal with grief. The theme of companionship seen by the viewing of pictures or "Wrather" in his two-seater. The conversations of Spanley as "wags". All explore the theme of companionship which is the most basic of longings that we all have. I only gave it a 9 instead of 10, simply because I found the first half hour to be rather slow-moving. That may just be my own impression. The best part of the film is certainly the last 45 minutes. It was one of those films that when it ended, you wished it hadn't!
Review of Dean Spanley
