Frost/Nixon (2008) – on rental. Director Ron Howard’s output seems to fluctuate quite a bit. On the one hand, I really liked Apollo 13 but on the other hand, his move adaptations of the two Dan Brown novels – Angels & Demons, and The Da Vinci Code – were far less exemplary work.
Frost/Nixon thankfully belongs to the same league as 1995’s Apollo 13 though. The film dramatizes a series of interviews the late President Nixon did with talk show host David Frost in the aftermath of the former’s fall from grace, precipitated by the Watergate scandal. Nixon’s successor, Gerald Ford, had already given Nixon a presidential pardon, but that did not exonerate him from the public perspective that he should be convicted in the media circus if not in a court of law.
The film reminds me of the recent Nanking film, which saw actors portraying historical characters in the incident, and getting interviewed as though they were the real persons. Frost/Nixon uses the same cinematic style to provide context to the film, and transition between scenes.
The two leads, Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, playing Frost and Nixon are clearly comfortable in their respective roles. Both persons are reprising their roles from the successful Broadway play of the same name.
The film runs along pretty briskly too from an opening montage presenting succinctly the ke event points of the Watergate scandal, followed by Nixon’s resignation, to Frost and his producer John Brit’s decision to interview him, then preparation work, and finally the interview sessions.
The interview sessions don’t begin well for Frost’s team though as they’re obviously and quickly outclassed by the world-class political operative, Nixon. But they gain ground later after a crucial turning point after an apparently intoxicated Nixon phones Frost in a late night call, an incident that Nixon biographers insist never happened.
The film is all dialog and low tension for the first two thirds. But the last 30 minutes – the last interview session – are absolutely riveting where the two persons face off like two boxers, with Nixon finally making that controversial admission that “When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.” When the last interview is done, Nixon emerges as a man seemingly broken in spirit and humbled.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibxs_2nDXUc
The film was nominated for all the key Oscars – including Best Motion Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director – but curiously won none of them (the awards went to Slumdog Millionaire).
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One of the most telling signs at home of whether a film will appeal to those of us who like films that are more drama than noise & explosions is Ling’s reaction to it. Ling didn’t get to finish watching the film as Hannah wanted a feed.
Just as we were turning in, Ling asked “So what happened at the end? I want to know…!”
The film gets Ling’s approval: 
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