Frost/Nixon (2008)

I've been excited about Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon after seeing a terribly tantalizing trailer a few months back. Then, my interest was further piqued after a trip to dreary old Manhattan where my best friend, and Roundabout employee, Stef told me all about Michael Sheen and Frank Langella's sensational performances on Broadway. That both men met incredible success on stage and were offered the screen roles, disregarding the fact that neither name carries a weighty Hollywood punch, speaks to their undeniable-so-bloody-greatness. It also indicates how imperative convincing portrayals are to this story. To boot, it's a pretty darn good Ron Howard film. Are you excited too? Well if so giddy blogaphile, read on . . .

The basics: In 1977, after America's 39th President Richard Nixon (Langella) became the very first to resign the office, British talk show host and entertainer David Frost (Sheen) decided that interviewing the controversial political would be his highest rated show yet. Few believed Frost was capable of handling the man who duped an entire country, but he managed to gather the $600,000 Nixon requested, and hired two investigators, Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt) and James Reston Jr (Sam Rockwell) to prep him, in an attempt to "give Nixon the trial he never had."

I do not claim to be a Ron Howard fan, so it follows that I haven't seen his entire catalogue, but I've more than scratched the surface, and can confidently claim that Frost/Nixon must be one of his finest films. Perhaps the opening implied that performances dictate the film's success, and while they help achieve it, Frost/Nixon is not defined by the actors, but enhanced by Howard's crisp pacing, his ability to tell an entertaining story (or even better make the telling of a story entertaining) and the careful, tender treatment of his subjects. Oh yes, and he cast it extremely well. Perhaps that's been mentioned.

Here's the thing reader, Frost/Nixon the film, outside of individual performances, is so well constructed that we're able to invest fully in these actors and their truly exceptional work. Unlike, let's say, a film like Burn After Reading, where the performances are great, but the screenplay totally uninteresting (yes, I said it, bring on the defense of this less-than Coen Brothers film), Frost/Nixon really has the whole package, so while the solid points (perspective, script, music, etc.) harmonize the strong points (every single actor in it) are given free reign to shine, shine, shine.


So let's talk about these actors then! Frank Langella, bless him, to my theatre directing, actor loving mind, perfects the art form with this performance. This man is an a-c-t-o-r ladies and gentlemen, in the truest sense of the word, completely retreating into Richard Nixon and delivering a character that is manipulative, charming, disgraced, and fallen, but powerful. I would have thought my Oscar heart would be with Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (that review is on deck reader), and am thrilled that last night Sean Penn won the SAG award for Milk, but now, I must admit, my heart is for Langella. I won't put money on it, because this is a popularity contest after all, and Rourke's story has won everyone over, but Langella is most deserving. At least he won the Tony . . . and the Drama Desk Award . . . and the Outer Critics Circle Award . . .


Holding his own next to this Goliath, Sheen is irresistible as the magnetic underdog Frost. Sheen masters Frost's irrepressible optimism which covers up the forceful insecurity and fear of a man putting up all of his own money and risking his reputation and career on the most important interview of his life. And Millie would like me mention that yes, he is terribly handsome for a short Brit . . .


Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell have dynamic chemistry and, despite their relatively little screen time, create fully developed characters that provide a very strong support system for our two heroes. Rebecca Hall (most recently of Vicki Christina Barcelona fame) is enjoyable enough and Kevin Bacon, well, he's committed. He's not entirely convincing, but he sure does a better than average job.

A best picture? Well, perhaps in a slower Oscar year I would say so. It's certainly deserving of the nomination, but with critics and crowds alike losing their chickpeas over Slumdog Millionaire it's unlikely to grab that honor. Worth seeing? Oh yes dear reader, emphatically, yes.

Millie's bees to knees meter (1 bee = blah, 10 bees = hoo-rah): 8