Review of Frost/Nixon (2008) by Matthew H — 30 May 2010

A movie about a political interview really should not work. I remember seeing the amount of acclaim that Frost/Nixon picked up in the run up to the Academy Awards in 2009 and wondered why. Well, now having finally sat down to watch the film, I can honestly say that my initial impression couldn't have been wider of the mark.

Frost/Nixon is a taut, exciting thriller that revolves around a (then unknown) talk show host called David Frost who is desperate to raise the funds to interview disgraced former US President Richard Nixon. Nixon was a hot topic at the time because of the Watergate Scandal and following Gerald Ford's pardon of Nixon, the American people were mainly annoyed that Nixon would never stand trial for his abuse of the Presidency and the crimes that he was tied up in. Frost aimed to give Nixon the trial he had avoided through a series of interviews and the movie revolves around the build up to the interviews and the interviews themselves.

Of course, this would all be very boring if the film wasn't paced correctly and thankfully, Ron Howard is at the helm and he does a cracking job of creating an exciting picture. The suspense comes through the pressure that the then unknown David Frost is under not only to interview the then most famous politician on the planet but also to pull the whole production off with his reputation and career on the line. The cast doesn't hurt the movie either. Michael Sheen is fantastic as Frost. He plays the role well and is very reminiscent of Sir David Frost himself. Opposite Sheen, playing Nixon himself is Frank Langella. Langella, to put it bluntly, steals the show. He is superb as Nixon and this is definitely among the best performances of 2008. Supporting the leads are Kevin Bacon as Nixon's right hand man, Matthew MacFadyen, Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell as Frost's research team and Rebecca Hall who plays Caroline Cushing, the gorgeous lady that Frost meets on the plane to California and invites to come along for the ride, becoming his love interest. All of the supporting actors do well in their roles and help to make a film where not much happens, grip the audience from start to finish.

It is refreshing to see that Hollywood cares enough to give Sir David Frost the praise that he deserves in the form of a major movie. Nixon was public enemy number one in the mid to late Seventies and Frost considered mad to go after him through these interviews. Yet, today he is a national treasure in the UK. Even if you aren't politically motivated, I would recommend Frost/Nixon. It succeeds through good direction and first class portrayals of the title roles help to deliver an exciting thriller and one of the best pictures of 2008. Give it a try, it might just surprise you!