Dvd
Frost / Nixon
Sir David Frost is a British TV broadcaster famed both for his no-holds-barred political interviews and for presenting a popular lighthearted quiz show called Through The Keyhole. Thankfully, this Ron Howard (Da Vinci Code, Cinderella Man) drama focuses on the former aspect of his career, dramatising his most significant scoop - when he coaxed a tacit admission of guilt out of former US President Richard Nixon, following the 1970s Watergate scandal which rocked American politics.
The film is an adaptation of the West End/Broadway stage play by Peter Morgan, and the original actors have retained the lead roles for the film - Frank Langella (Good Night, And Good Luck) plays Nixon, while Michael Sheen (who played Tony Blair in The Queen) takes on the role of interrogator Frost.
Starring Kevin Bacon, Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones, Oliver Platt
Directed by Ron Howard ('Cocoon', 'Apollo 13', 'Ransom', 'A Beautiful Mind', 'The Da Vinci Code')
Written by Peter Morgan (based on his own stageplay)
True Story, Drama | 2hr 2mins | Rated (M) | contains offensive language | Origin: USA, UK, France | Official Site »
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Flicks review
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4
Frost/Nixon exceeded my modest expectations. I had anticipated one of those 60’s/70’s period dramas, which are all period, no drama. You know the ones – they’ve got the faux-jazz soundtracks, the ‘groovy’ camera angles and the lukewarm humour. But this is something better.
This is an enthralling game of cat-and-mouse that plays out between disgraced ex-President Richard Nixon (Langella) and BBC talk show host David Frost (Sheen, last seen as Tony Blair in The Queen) as the latter works to elicit an admission of guilt from the big man. Both actors reprise their roles from the Broadway stage play by Peter Morgan (who adapts his story for the screen). Their performances are captivating, less concerned with direct impersonation as they are with capturing the essence of these media-savvy entrepreneurs.
The limited scale of the play has been broadened for the cinema, but the strongest scenes are still those between the two leads as they sit metres apart, engaging in an intimate battle of wits and words. Despite the 70’s setting, art direction thankfully never overwhelms.
This is director Ron Howard’s best film since Apollo 13. Understanding, as Frost did, the ‘power of the close-up’, Howard lingers on the eyes of his characters as they skitter about. He never takes sides, wisely choosing to not portray Nixon as a slimy liar nor Frost as a flippant socialite, instead balancing our sympathies this way then the other until the final showdown.
The jury’s still out on whether the inclusion of ‘talking head’ scenes (including Rockwell, Macfadyen, Bacon and Platt) to create a documentary feel is of worth or remains a gimmick. But aside from minor niggles, Frost/Nixon emerges from the spotlight as a thoroughly entertaining look at an infamous face-off.SHARE:
The people's reviews
6 reviews
Press Reviews
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Christchurch Press [James Croot]
A well-paced, lovingly crafted, superbly acted drama that deserves plenty of recognition at the upcoming awards season.
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FilmThreat.com [USA]
3
Fails to add anything of substance to the history that it portrays.
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Los Angeles Times
The result is involving, engrossing cinema -- more thrilling, in fact, than Howard's "The Da Vinci Code" -- filmmaking of a type rarely seen anymore and sorely missed.
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New York Times
Stories of lost crowns lend themselves to drama, but not necessarily audience-pleasing entertainments, which may explain why Frost/Nixon registers as such a soothing, agreeably amusing experience, more palliative than purgative.
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NZ Herald [Peter Calder]
3
Interesting but bloodless adaptation of a hit play.
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Premiere [USA]
A totally mesmerizing battle of the wills between the occasionally charming yet wily Nixon and the increasingly desperate Frost.
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Rolling Stone [USA]
Director Ron Howard has turned Peter Morgan's stage success into a grabber of a movie laced with tension, stinging wit and potent human drama.
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San Francisco Chronicle
Morgan finds the right elements of action and character through which to make history leap off the page.
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Variety [USA]
Frank Langella's meticulous performance will generate the sort of attention that will attract serious filmgoers.
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