Fine for what it is. Langella holds it together

Rating: 7/10 (25 November 2011)

Every review I've seen of this film seems overly eager to mention the fact that you will enjoy it if you arrive at the cinema prepared for the fact that it is a retelling of the post-Watergate interviews. This is no lie however, Frost/Nixon is something more than a dramatic remake of the battle between one Sir David Frost and disgraced former US President, Richard Nixon. The film leaves an indelible mark, a feeling of indescribable angst that Sheen's determined Frost cannot and will not draw the most widely desired apology from a man so corrupt and ignorant to his own nation and the trauma he instigated. It is not necessary to have an informed background on Watergate or Nixon's legacy (as I have discovered that many people seem clueless to him aside from affixing the suffix 'gate' to him) but it is necessary to view this film with an open mind. Anyone with an informed opinion on Nixon may feel a certain revelation after watching this. If anything, it enhances the sense that Frost is not the only one facing the biggest challenge of his career.
The film divides the four segmented interviews with profiles of Frost and Nixon individually. This allows for the viewer to digest the reactions of the President to Frost's initial weak attempts at interrogation and offers room for speculation into Frost's approach to Watergate. Sheen's portrayal of Frost is both engaging and disheartening. The latter is not for any faults by Sheen but rather a relaxed disposition with the real David Frost that makes viewing a little irritating, especially during the first interview segment.
Frank Langella, star of TV's Dracula certainly rises to the challenge proposed by Nixon's dictatorial-like stance. Langella defies any myth that Nixon's character cannot be portrayed truthfully most clearly during the Watergate interview. It is here that we see the former President's weakness through a facade of strength that is broken through by Frost's straightforward approach. The films most notable moment for me occurs when Frost drops his notes after he is challenged by Nixon to interview him sans script. Here Sheen does not steal the limelight but cleverly allows the focus to stay upon his fellow protagonist and highlights the weariness and hints at a possible self-loathing within the former President. The utterly disgraceful motto, made famous by Richard Millhouse Nixon is repeated by Langella in as cold and inhuman a fashion as his real-life predecessor: "I'm saying if the President does it, it's not illegal" – referring to his part in the Watergate cover-up and the US attacks on Vietnam and Cambodia jointly.
Overall, Frost/Nixon provides a chance for the audience to review Nixon's hold in the United States – a point of particular poignancy when no US network will agree to broadcast Frost's tapes or give him financial backing in the process. It is a film notable for it's representation and lack of bias. Perhaps more importantly, it allows Langella the chance to shine like few of his previous roles have ever done.
All Rights Reserved © Copyright 2009 Michelle Lacey (Michelle Ní Láitheása).