A disturbing look at a very real time in history...captivating film with a powerhouse performance

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2009)

I will agree and disagree with much of what reviewers and critics say about Frost/Nixon. I have a sincere love for American Politics and have studied Richard Nixon to extent but I am only thirty so I missed the entire Watergate phenomenon and subsequent fallout. I eagerly awaited to see this film only having previous experience of a serious Richard Nixon performance from the legendary Anthony Hopkins. Frost/Nixon doesn't try to force itself into some sort of dramatic film but instead plays the situation real which is both impressive and discouraging because the entire film is riveting and yet doesn't have a deep plot. It's a surface film about an interview and a conceited, self important TV personality who nails the world's most desired Interview. Ultimately from this film (I have yet to see the actual interviews) Frost didn't really nail anything down until the final moments of the interview. Still the set up and the anticipation of the interview and the one truly mind blowing performance of the film make it the type of thing you can't take your eyes off of. The film still didn't really blow me away with the exception of that one performance.
Michael Sheen is a terrific actor. He can do some incredible performances but in all honesty I didn't see it in this one. I don't know how much he is given to work with as Australian TV personality David Frost but he is supposed to be very charismatic and I just don't get that from his performance. It's almost bordering on bland compared to his co-star. Now let's talk about that co-star. If this film scores an eight for me Frank Langella's performance is a perfect shining ten. Langella as Richard M. Nixon is breath taking. I didn't think he could come close to Hopkins' performance but he nails it and is brilliant. If the story is a little dull then Langella makes the film stone cold watchable. He is brilliant. You absolutely must see him pull off this performance!! He buries anyone else in the film. Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, and Oliver Platt also add some style and humor to the film as well. Platt in particular seems to be the comic relief which in some ways kind of feels out of place in the context of a very serious film.
It seems almost an understatement to say that Ron Howard is a brilliant director. He has done some amazing films and he knows how to tell a story. He has done every genre imaginable and he helps tell the story as well. His films tend to show an unprecedented feeling of intensity and Frost/Nixon proves that. Again the story for the film is simplistic enough but ultimately it is telling the story of the aftermath of Richard Nixon the man. When you watch the film watch it from the perspective of it being a story about Richard Nixon specifically and not the interviews. One of the most powerful movie scenes I have seen in ages is Nixon's late night phone call to Frost where he appears to be showing some of his rumored paranoia and break in psyche. Considering the award nominations, any movie fan should see this but if not for that reason then see if for the truly amazing performance by Frank Langella and a piece of American history from a different perspective. 8/10