An Excellent Actor's Film

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2009)

Frost/Nixon is clearly a film that was designed to get awards and recognition for its actors and writer Peter Morgan.
Frost/Nixon is based on the stage play written by Peter Morgan, which was about the British TV interviewer David Frost (Michael Sheen) who interviews degraded ex-American President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella). Frost in the mid 70s was a successful talk show host in Britain and Australia, but was famous for interviewing celebrities and light entertainment segments. When Nixon resigns Frost has the brainwave of having a series of interviews with the ex-President. To do this Frost had to offer an unprecedented amount of money, $600,000. Richard Nixon sees this as an opportunity to rebuild his reputation and at the same time get interviewed what he sees as a lightweight. Frost struggles to sell the idea to the American networks because of the cost and he was fairly unknown to the American audience. He has to risk his own reputation and money to make such the project could be done. As well Frost hired two researchers, Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt) and James Reston Jr. (Sam Rockwell). Reston has a big chip on his shoulder, disliking Nixon because of his abuse of power and role during the Vietnam War, and he wanted Frost to be as touch as possible against Nixon. When the interviews start Nixon was able to run rings around Frost, using his friendship to play mind games and Frost's inexperience with interviewing major political figures, but slowly gains his strength and starts to challenge Nixon.
As I have started it is an actor's film. Michael Sheen is an excellent British actor, famous for playing Tony Blair twice and is likely to more weighty projects. Frank Langella also offered the best performance of Richard Nixon since Anthony Hopkins. Both men starred in the stage play and so were were obvious choices for the film, and I personally think both men are likely to get nominated for Oscar. Unfortunately I doubt whoever gets nominated for best Supporting Actors (most likely Langella), they won't get the awards because of the pressure for Heath Leadger to get the award. Other supporting actors in the film also offered excellent performers. I personal hope Matthew Macfadyen has a good career ahead of him and I hope he becomes James Bond after Daniel Craig's run. Rockwell and Platt were also passionate during their performances. The writing was sharp and at times witty. It is deep with the ideas of politics, power, the media and the seventies, and I favour Peter Morgan is a strong contender for the Oscar best Adapted Screenplay. The film does show Nixon in a negative light at first, making him out to have a sense of grandeur about himself and belief that he was in the right. He was also greedy, wanting money and wanting to security his legacy. But at the end Nixon is shown to be human and that he does have a friendship with David Frost. However I did not like the documentary talking head style that was used, feeling it was a little lazy and the film does take a little artistic license. Ron Howard got the character of the seventies right, offered a balance film and was a good hand behind the camera. I would like to see more films like this from him, but I doubt he would get an Oscar nod this time round. As well this film is also likely to get an Oscar nomination for Best Film, but this awards season has offered some strong films. Hopefully Frost/Nixon should win one or two awards.
A strong recommendation from me.