In the tenth round,,,Nixon goes down....

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2009)

"Frost/Nixon" could be thought of as a heavy weight boxing match: A political version of Tyson's loss to Buster Douglas. Both Nixon and Frost enter the fight for personal reasons, Nixon attempts to repair his shattered post Watergate image, and Frost attempts to make a name for him self. While "Frost/Nixon" is being sold as an intense political thriller, it's no more dramatic then the interviews it's based on. It recreates them with astonishing accuracy. That's not saying the movie isn't good. It's fascinating, but far from nail biting.
"Frost/Nixon" is an actor's movie. Ron Howard places the camera on his two stars, Michael Sheen and Frank Langella and lets them go at it. Langella's performance is transcendent. Not knowing what Langella looks like helps the experience. At first his slouching posture and thick Nixon accent become distracting. After being absorbed into the movie I was convinced that he really was Nixon.
Michael Sheen doesn't get as much credit as he deserves. He was great as Tony Blair, supporting Hellen Mirren to an Oscar victory. This time he's supported Langella to a best actor nomination. Maybe Sheen will be considered sooner or later. Sometimes it takes two or three snubs to finally get the Academy's approval.
Neither Frost nor Nixon know what they're getting into. Frost doesn't expects Nixon's bullying tactics. Nixon throws him off only seconds before the interview shoots by commenting on his shoes and asking him personal questions about his sex life. Nixon doesn't expect Frost to fight back. At first Nixon is dominant until the final moments of the interview, where Frost grows a spine and drills Nixon with the tough questions everyone in the world wanted to ask Nixon.
Ron Howard made this film based on a fantasy of what any one would want to do to Bush: ask him the tough questions he would never want to answer. While Bush may have been the worst president of our time, even he is smart enough not to fall into a trap set by a blood thirsty journalist. Did you see the last television appearances the 43rd president made? He lied as if he wasn't there. If Frost/Bush were made I would gladly see it, but as I said before, that's just a fantasy.