A perfect film for the historical and intellectual taste buds of movie-goers

Rating: 9/10 (12 January 2009)

In a time where independent films are quickly growing in the favor of not only the public but in the eyes of critics, the Academy and other motion picture associations, it can almost be said that "Frost/Nixon," a historical drama in the purest sense, is a breath of fresh air. In a difficult time such as the state of the U.S. at the moment, independent films are much more appealing as they relate to people on a more universal level. This is something "Frost/Nixon" can't pretend to be--it's political, highly intellectual, grounded in historical fact, and deals with themes of power and fame. That's why "Frost/Nixon" is likely to walk away empty- handed through much of award season, because despite being a compelling drama worthy of praise on nearly every end of its production, a drama that works your left brain is not what people are looking to see right now. For that same reason, however, many viewers, especially the very frequent moviegoers, are likely to find the change of pace that "Frost/Nixon" brings quite welcome.
The film, based on the 1976 interviews between President Richard M. Nixon and British TV personality David Frost, really fires on all cylinders. It is written by England's Peter Morgan, who also wrote the Tony-award winning play it's based on, which is its first right move. Morgan, who penned "The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland" clearly has the strength to make a film out of his script, likely why he produced it in the first place. So many plays fail to find a home on the screen that actually breathes new life into it, but "Frost/Nixon" does. Secondly, it is directed by American favorite Ron Howard, who despite seeming like a name more than anything else lately, absolutely has done some of his best work here. Considering the film is about preparing for and conducting an interview, it's amazing how compelling and well-paced he tells this story. His camera angles, close-ups, changing of focus keep this from ever approaching boring.
What really brings this film together to be so interesting, ultimately, is the cast. Frank Langella, who originated as Nixon on Broadway, is simply marvelous. The mannerisms, the array of facial expressions--he is quite the screen presence and his performance is without question Oscar-worthy. We develop a liking, loathing and pity for Nixon all in one film because of Langella. His performance makes you think more about the film more than anything else in the movie. His counterpart is also well-played by Michael Sheen, who has collaborated with Morgan on his other films. Sheen's greatest strength is conveying Frost's conflicting role as both big shot personality and hard-hitting journalist. Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell round out the cast with strong performances as does rising star Rebecca Hall ("Vicki Cristina Barcelona") as Frost's love interest.
What culminates in "Frost/Nixon" is a drama that is surprisingly compelling. All the elements of performance and direction and writing converge to put you in a place where you feel the struggle that Frost (and many journalists, for that matter) deal with regularly--trying to not let someone with an agenda walk all over you as you interview them. The interview is sort of an unacknowledged verbal war, especially when it involves something so incredible as corruption at the highest level of government. Not only does this pump up the film's pace, but you truly can see how similar Frost and Nixon really are despite their conflicting interests and the film takes you to greater understanding of power and public image.
"Frost/Nixon" might in fact be a film for the more intellectual tastes of movie-goers and not reach the broad appeal of its award season competitors, but it is an excellent example of how dialog and debate can become powerful elements of storytelling and of course how history can continue to be relevant today, especially in a time where corruption is not any less of a problem as it was then.