An absolutely fantastic start to my festival, Dean Spanley almost defies description. How do I tell you how good it is without revealing the story? How do I persuade you to see it (and you should) without you thinking it sounds completely mad?
Based on Baron Dunsany’s novel, the story is set at the turn of the 20th century and focuses on the transmigration of souls and essentially four characters: the curmudgeonly Horatio Fisk (Peter O’Toole), his son Henslowe (Jeremy Northam), a colonial fixer (Bryan Brown) and Dean Spanley (Sam Neill) from the local church.
As a diversion to entertain his father, Henslowe and Horatio attend a lecture on the transmigration of the soul where the four first meet each other. Henslowe, dealing with some family trauma, is keen to spend time with the Dean to find out his thoughts about transmigration. To persuade the Dean to come to dinner to discuss the matter, Henslowe procures rare Hungarian wine, Tokay, from Brown’s fixer.
Under the influence of the Tokay, it becomes apparent that the Dean may be living proof of the transmigration of souls – and that proof affects the lives and relationship between father and son and hints at revelations to come for the fixer.
By turns whimsical, uproariously funny, and moving, the film is well directed by Toa Fraser. It’s hard to say who fares best among the cast: early on O’Toole is just playing O’Toole, but further depth and character is revealed; Northam adds some soul to his normal stiff upper lip; Brown reveals himself to be a fine character actor; and Sam Neill delivers a performance that will live long in the memory.
There is so much to say about this film – but only once it’s been seen! Certainly offbeat, definitely worth seeing.
Score: 8.5
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