I never thought a film, based on a play, about two men interviewing would be so thrilling and entertaining. Also, well-crafted and intelligent regarding the material. Frost/Nixon centers around the famous one-on-one interviews between David Frost and former President Richard Nixon. However, what you don’t know is what happens while the cameras are off. Each man has something to gain or everything to lose. Nixon was the only President to resign and Frost was a British TV personality, but each had a motive. For Frost, it was ratings and Nixon wanted money. But they both went down in history.
There are tactics played by both men, but mainly Nixon. Nixon is a charming, smart guy who has disgraced the title of President of the United States. But in the end, you almost see how Nixon may have regretted it all and wished Watergate would have never happened. Michael Sheen plays Frost and Frank Langella plays Nixon. Both are fantastic, but Langella steals the spotlight.
Langella really doesn’t look like Nixon at all. But you soon forget that due to the walk and mannerisms he portrays of the infamous President. He comes off as charming, but can turn in a second to a man of power who was guilty of abusing it. The scenes between Sheen and Langella could not be any better. These two actors played the same roles in the play and knew the material so well.
In this case, only the original players should have played these two tough roles and they did it very well. Langella has gotten the most attention as he should, but Sheen does a great job as well. He may not get any awards, but he deserves the recognition of standing toe-to-toe with Langella. It took both of them to make this film work so well.
Of course, I have to give credit to Ron Howard. He directed this play-to-film and accomplished what he set out to do: creating a true story and making it worthwhile. This film is entertaining and thrilling. But you learn a lot as well. You learn about the personality of Frost and how he was considered a joke to America and Nixon. But when it came down to the last interview that was about Watergate, Frost proved them wrong. He took Nixon by surprise and Nixon knew it.
Frost got the closest thing to a confession out of Nixon. I don’t believe any one else could have done that. Once you see the film, you will know why. At the same time, you learn about Nixon and how he practically went in to isolation. He was a lonely man who knew he did some wrongdoing. Howard brought this film to life and included some real footage of what went down concerning the Watergate scandal. He brought history to life and made it enjoyable for all audiences.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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