"Frost/Nixon" Movie Review
by David Rosen
2 out of 4 Thumbs
Right off the bat the biggest problem with Ron Howard's new film, “Frost/Nixon,” is just how obviously he's shooting for Oscars. One look at the trailer's fiery performances, self-important premise, and typical usage of The Who's “Baba O' Reily” to lift our spirits gives you all you really need to know about the movie. But with that said, “Frost/Nixon” is, no surprise here, pretty good.
Based on the play version of the same story (which also featured the same two lead actors), “Frost/Nixon” is about a British talk-show host, David Frost, who dared to take on Richard Nixon, just after he became the first President in history to resign from office. Frost, portrayed here by Michael Sheen as more of a British Jay Leno than a Larry King, is an outgoing, playboy celebrity. His seemingly good, but not entirely thought out idea to interview Nixon proves to be so expensive and risky, that if he doesn't find a way to get Nixon to admit his wrongdoings on camera, he will pretty much bankrupt himself and everyone around him.
Frank Langella plays Nixon and is a power house. While his acting teeters on parody at a few points, it's this performance that carries the film. Nixon is intimidating but shy, powerful but sad, and most of all is determined but broken by Watergate and the other events that led to his unraveling. Langella's careful performance of a complex character is the reason to see “Frost/Nixon.” It's truly hard to not sympathize with the guy.
The story follows the preparations on both sides for the series of five filmed interview segments. Frost doesn't exactly know what he's getting into at first when going up against Tricky Dick, but as the interviews press on, he finds a few tricks of his own. The interview scenes are some of the best in the film. As far as the actors' performances go, though, lets just say that if the story here was Sheen/Langella... I don't even think it would be a fair fight!
The supporting performances were all pretty good, with Sam Rockwell and Oliver Platt on Frost's investigating team and Kevin Bacon on Nixon's side. The interview is just as important for each of these supporting players as it is for the people doing the battle. Also good is Rebecca Hall (from this summer's Woody Allen movie, “Vicki Christina Barcelona”) as Frost's love interest. It's a shame she doesn't have more to do as she's definitely one of the stronger points of the film.
Ron Howard is no stranger to huge, award winning true stories. “Cinderella Man, “Apollo 13,” and “A Beautiful Mind” were all events, but “Frost/Nixon,” aside from its timing (being released at the end of the line for the most hated president since... well Nixon), really feels kind of forgettable. As a matter of fact, at about an hour in, I felt like the whole movie would have been better as a 5-10 page article in Newsweek (although the second half is where the film really gets good). I'd certainly recommend seeing it once, but I'd be shocked if the Oscars fall for Frost's or Nixon's tricks this year.