Milhouse beyond the White House

Rating: 7/10 (28 January 2009)

Its been sometime since I saw a film which completely works as a piece of cinema. More than just a few good performances, there is a direction and a story fully told. Basic elements maybe, but oddly missing in much output of the last year or so.
One thing that made this film click was the realisation that power and success are circumstantial and not elements of fate. No conspiracy theory is needed here.
We see Nixon, a president whose power was only vaguely contained by American law, on the crossroads between greatness and delusion. Nixon's lack of personal warmth was a disaster in the TV age - more so than his conditional morality.
And we see the lightly talented David Frost succeed because he didn't appear to Nixon as a likely enemy. That Sheen plays Frost a little Blair like is probably no accident.
The film keeps a respectful distance between the political elements. The liberals are seen as worthy, but blinkered - the right as smug but defencive. This allows the two protagonists space to fill the film. And from that flows the humour, tension and entertainment.