Frost/Nixon (2008)

3.5

DRAMA

U.S. Release Date: 12/05/08

Running Length: 122 Minutes

MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, Nudity)

Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Cast: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Mcfadyen, Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall

Director: Ron Howard

Screenplay: Peter Morgan, based on his play

Cinematography: Salvatore Totino

Music: Hans Zimmer

U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures

Review by: Carter Moulton

02/09/09

Watergate. My high-school government class focused on it for what seemed like an eternity. I’ve read about “Deep Throat," seen All The President’s Men, and bought the action figures—I’m sure they exist. It’s a phenomenon, the one President of the United States who got caught for their dirty [non-sexual] deeds. Surprisingly, for all that I’ve read on the matter, I didn’t know that the Frost/Nixon interviews existed. How successful were they?

With Frost/Nixon, some historical accuracy is sacrificed for drama, but, since we already have history, I’m not one to complain. The famous interviews were held in 1977, three years after Nixon resigned. David Frost (Michael Sheen), a talk-show host, questioned Richard “I’m not a crook!” Nixon (Frank Langella) for 24 non-consecutive hours, although the last two hours of the interview ring with the most resonance. Frost’s reputation in television interviewing is downplayed in the film, perhaps to paint him as an underdog, but there’s no shortage of talent in the way Frost dissected Nixon.

Photo © Universal Pictures

The film isn’t straight from the textbook; it’s based on Peter Morgan’s play. Morgan, who also penned The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen, is successful at balancing character study, history, and nervousness, knowing when to unplug one and plug in the other. Director Ron Howard does the rest, as he usually does, providing enough open-space outside of the interviews to grant us some breathing room. Sheen plays Frost with all the show-biz confidence one would expect, resulting in some light humor. These moments, contrasted against the stern tone of the picture, are more than welcome. Sam Rockwell and Rebecca Hall are strong in their supporting roles as well.

The momentum that Frost/Nixon snowballs into is much in thanks to Frank Langella’s performance. As observed by David Denby in The New Yorker, Langella treads lightly over the outer-surfaces of Nixon—always changing. We never understand the humanity of Nixon, which keeps the suspense at a palm-sweating level as we anticipate his next move. Although Ron Howard cleverly frames profile shots of his lead actor that make him look like Nixon, the victory is not in the physical resemblance but in the unsettling nature of Langella’s performance. The film shows Nixon as a bigheaded yet nervously hidden man. He’s often seen "shootin’ the breeze" with Frost, casually stalling his impending destruction. Langella captures the arrogance—and all of the pathos—of the exiled commander-in-chief.

Watching the film I wondered how much adrenaline would flow, considering a somewhat dry and criminally miniscule event. But, as with All The President’s Men, the focus here is the impact of Watergate in terms of political significance—in which it is nothing short of catastrophic. Frost/Nixon takes this historical significance and adopts the atmosphere of a sporting arena, in which two bitter rivals are about to clash, “no holds barred."