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 This
year has seen something of a resurgence of interest in the political
movie with 'Good Night. And Good Luck' and 'Syriana' both doing well
both critically and financially. In contrast, the British Film Industry
hasn't produced a political film since the late eighties. One man aims
to change all that. Tobias Blennerhassett has produced some of the most
successful films ever produced in this country including, 'Strippers on
the Dole' and 'The Short, Fat Thursday'.
I went to speak to him find
out more about his plans for what he hopes will be the greatest British
political film ever made - Lib Dems: The Movie.
AC: Tobias, what made you think the time was right for a British film to tackle a political subject again?
TB: It was a case of striking while the
iron was hot. Politics is big right now. In cinema terms the political
film is the new gangster movie.
In other words, everyone is making them at the minute?
Exactly.
Tell me a bit about the film. What's the plot about?
It will cover the last year of Charles Kennedy's leadership, his resignation and the subsequent leadership battle.
That certainly gives you a lot of scope for dramatic potential.
It's a story that has everything. In fact, I've already got the tagline for the movie. Would you like to hear it?
Er, yes. All right.
It goes: "Greed! Ambition! Love! Sex! Power! Proportional Representation!"
That's certainly catchy.
All the elements of great drama are
contained in this one film! Think about it. You've got a leader
battling with his demons. He resigns in spectacular fashion. Then
there's a leadership tussle. And just when things look like settling
down for the party there's a lurid tabloid sex scandal. This is going
to make Ben Hur look like Fantasia!
So you think it'll rank alongside other British political films?
It's going to blow the out of the
water! 'Defence of the Realm', 'The Killing Fields', 'Bloody Sunday',
it'll eclipse them all! Although obviously we can't top the greatest
British political film of all time.
Which is?
'Love, Actually'
Erm, I hate to break it to you but 'Love, Actually' isn't a political film.
Yes it is.
No. I'm afraid it isn't.
Yes it is. It's got the Prime Minister in it.
Moving on, you've just started casting the film. Any names you can give us?
Well, it's early days. We're looking at some big names. I'm chasing Mel Gibson at the moment.
Which part did you have him in mind for?
Charles Kennedy. He proved in
'Braveheart' that he can do a flawless Scottish accent. Dye his hair
orange and you'd swear Charles was standing on front of you. In a
similar vein, stick a pair of glasses on Liam Neeson and he's the
spitting image of Lembit Opik.
Some people have detected to whiff of a plot to oust Kennedy from his position. Will the film tackle that at all?
Indeed yes. We're even going to expose some brand new evidence that there was a conspiracy to get rid of him.
Really? Like what?
Well, obviously I don't want to give too much away…
Naturally. But you can give us a hint surely?
Well, lets just say that the reptiles wanted him out.
You're using the word reptiles in a metaphorical sense, of course.
No, I'm using it in the lizard sense.
Let me get this right. You're saying lizards deposed Charles Kennedy?
No.
Thank goodness for that. I thought I was going mad.
I'm saying that Charles Kennedy was
deposed by shape-shifting alien lizards. The idea that terrestrial
lizards could hold political office is absurd.
Clearly. I presume that you can prove all this can you?
Yes. I've fully documented all of the telepathic transmissions from the Greys.
I dread to ask but who are the Greys?
An alien race that hates the shape-shifting lizards. They want to unmask them.
And they've told you all this telepathically?
Yes. They also told me that JFK was assassinated by a CIA-trained killer yeti.
You do realise that this is all nonsense don't you?
I've met a lot of resistance from
people like you. Open your mind to the greater conspiracy. It's all the
work of the One-World government. They don't want people to know that
they exist.
You really are barking mad aren't you?
The truth is out there, my friend.
So is your sanity. Tobias Blennerhassett, thank you.
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