Entertaining and Rich, Howard's Best

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2009)

Movies centered on politics are often interesting on an intellectual level, but never has a film of such an ilk been so thoroughly entertaining. Director Ron Howard's adaptation of the stage play of the same name, manages to both stay loyal to the true events that served as inspiration, yet infuses it with life and achieves the utmost level of satisfaction without compromising the rich and weighty subject matter. Infused with sensational performances throughout, Howard has delivered what I think is his best film yet.
Beginning with President Richard Nixon's (Frank Langella reprising his role from the play) resignation following the Watergate scandal, the movie jumps to a few years later where the ex-president has been demoted to giving talks at luncheons, and interviews for money. Meanwhile down under in Australia, a wildly popular talk show host named David Frost (Michael Sheen) comes up with the ultimate publicity stunt; winch out the confession the American people never got from their former president. Nixon has other plans however, seeing only easy money for answering some fluff questions over a four day period. Frost assembles a team of researchers and experts including Sam Rockwell as James Reston Jr., Mathew McFayden as John Burt and Oliver Platt as Bob Zelnick to ensure his suave defeat of his opponent and secure their place in infamy.
Frost/Nixon succeeds in overcoming a number of hurdles. It flourishes, even if you have no knowledge of the events of Watergate, or have no interest in American politics, but will thrill those who do. From what I understand, certain liberties were taken with the facts surrounding the endlessly notorious interviews, but more often then not, Frost/Nixon is less of a political film, then it is a sword and shield bout to the death; an intense duel between these two intellectuals, and how their confidence and overconfidence sways the interviews in both their favours before the gripping final outcome
Frank Langella is sure to get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the infamous president, but Michael Sheen should by no means be overlooked. He is equally solid, and to some extent has the more difficult role; in keeping his own against the veteran stage actors larger then life embodiment of the president. We also get fantastic supporting work from Kevin Bacon as Nixon's aid who's two-fold admiration and quiet pity and embarrassment is tragic and very affecting. From a visual standpoint, Howard's film is glossy and superbly shot without feeling to large in its scope. It is intimate and immediate with a keen sense of the times.
Perhaps the biggest achievement of the movie is the handling of the Nixon character. Howard manages to capture both his corruptness and smug pompousness while showing him as a true human; with some sympathy but mostly just not as a faceless monster and without a blunt bias. So don't be turned away simply because of the films 'political' backbone, because Frost/Nixon is some of the most simultaneously intelligent and entertaining film-making of the decade.
9.5 / 10.0
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