Frank Langella IS Nixon

Rating: 9/10 (26 December 2008)

Frank Langella delivers a stunning performance. For those of us who remember Richard Nixon as President, he comes to life on the screen. The face, the stoop, the mannerisms--they're all there. This is not an actor playing a role; it is as if Nixon himself is on screen. And it's not a wholly unsympathetic portrayal. Nixon does not come off as a monster or as deranged, more as someone to be pitied than despised.
The other performances, including Michael Sheen's, are very solid, but Langella has done something truly extraordinary by removing the impression of an actor playing a part. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't earn an Oscar nomination, or even and Oscar as best actor for this performance. Langella has certainly come a long ways from his excellent performance in the underrated 1970 Mel Brooks film, The Twelve Chairs.
Forst/Nixon as a whole is riveting. Given that it's a fairly simple story with a known ending, this is quite an achievement. You don't have to be a Watergate junkie to enjoy this film; even a passing familiarity with those momentous events in our history is sufficient. Not a moment of the 122-minute running time is wasted--or dull.