REVIEW: Frost/Nixon

*Posted December 31, 2008*

I've been itching to see this ever since I showed the trailer on this site back in September. It's a dramatization of the real-life interviews by David Frost of Richard Nixon, and it doesn't disappoint. Frank Langella anchors the plot as the disgraced President Nixon, and plays him as a guy who may be out of the politcal game, but he's not quite done yet. Nixon wants to use the interviews as a way to gain favor and spark a return to D.C. Langella's portrayal is fascinating in that we see a guy who looks like he has no business being in politics. Nixon is an ugly man with bad posture and a funny voice, but he makes up for it with his sharp mind. He definitely knows how to play the game, and that's fun to see in a President (something Oliver Stone couldn't show in W.). Nixon plays opposite David Frost, a talk show host looking to gain credibility and a return to the American spotlight by giving Nixon the trial he never had. The great thing about the movie is that you pull for both guys. Frost is likeable and relentless. Nixon is intelligent and crafty. Of course only one can win, and we the audience already know the outcome. These guys are supported by a fantastic cast. Sam Rockwell plays a hothead journalist who's obsessed with stopping Nixon. Oliver Platt plays a network producer on Team Frost whose Nixon impression marks the funniest scene in the film. Kevin Bacon is a former bigwig staffer on Team Nixon; nice role, but nothing special. Another treat is the array of Apollo 13 alums popping up in small roles here and there; all people you would recognize but not be able to name. Frost/Nixon is a fantastic period drama about one of the biggest television events in history. Go see it now, then buy the DVD.

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