Review of Frost/Nixon (2008) by Justin Q — 23 Oct 2010

I'm not a huge fan of political intrigue or of any of Ron Howard's films after 1995's Apollo 13. But I do enjoy the odd biopic, even as it has become an overdone and Oscar-baity genre in recent years. The lead actor often walks a fine line between a brilliant, subtle performance and cheap mimicry.

And so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this film. The play caught my eye when it opened in New York after a successful London run, but I never managed to get there to see it. When I heard Howard was attached to direct the film version with the original stage cast, I was definitely hopeful.

And thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. The film perfectly captures the dynamic between Frank Langella's Nixon and Michael Sheen's David Frost, seemingly without losing any of the intimacy of the live performance. They've lived in their characters long enough to restrain themselves from going too "big," even though it would have been easy and tempting for an actor, particularly with such a larger-than-life character as Tricky Dick.

While both leads are certainly fantastic, this is easily Langella's film. He does the unimaginable by not only mastering Nixon's voice and body language, but also making him sympathetic. The sadness in his face throughout, particularly in the final scenes, reveal a man full of failure and regret. The Best Actor race is shaping into an especially competitive one this year, but Langella's work is certainly going to secure him a deserved nomination.

The supporting cast is just as good, even if they are cast in the shadow of the leads. While the plot drags a bit in the middle, I understand that it must be hard to make a bunch of men with silly hair cuts doing research cinematic. The biggest letdown is that the single most explosive moment of the film is given away in the trailer, but there are still plenty of other small touches and one-liners to make this film way more interesting than a typical American history lesson.

If for nothing else, see it for a truly great portrayal of one of the world's most intriguing political leaders.