Movie Review: Frost Nixon
“Frost Nixon” is adapted from the original play in which Frank Langella starred as President Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost. Langella captures Nixon’s power and quirkiness while Sheen finds the intellect in the easy going Frost. The excellent screenplay by Peter Morgan was based on his original award-winning London and Broadway stagings of his play which also starred actors Langella and Sheen. The movie succeeds in recreating the look and feel of the 70′s and the infamous television interviews between President Nixon and talk show host David Frost. Frank Langella in his Oscar nominated role does not disappoint. Why Michael Sheen was not nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar is a mystery to me, their performances together are what make this movie so riveting. The scenes between Langella and Sheen are taut with tension and intellectual sparring as during the interviews a fight for power ensues.
Secondary cast members offer sterling performances to match the leading actors. Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt and Kevin Bacon are excellent and bring the movie up a notch with their multi-layered performances. Kevin Bacon is a great actor and proves in role after role he is a fine character actor with understated style and talent. Here he gives a standout performance with minimal lines as Jack Brennan, Nixon’s post-presidential chief of staff. Platt and Rockwell are the investigative reporters who are tasked with finding information out about Watergate in order to force Nixon to admit his part in the Watergate scandal. Sam Rockwell is fascinating as James Reston, Jr., unwilling to give an inch to the disgraced president. Oliver Platt as Bob Zelnick gives yet another great performance. Platt is an actor you can’t take your eyes off of when he is on screen.
“Frost Nixon” is another great directorial success from Ron Howard. Along with the well written screenplay by Peter Morgan, director and screeenwriter successfully bring this story to the screen minus the feel of a staged play. “Frost Nixon” is a fine cinematic achievement and a film to add to your must see movie list.
2008. Directed by Ron Howard, written by Peter Morgan. Starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Macfadyen, Oliver Platt and Toby Jones.
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