Film Review: Frost/Nixon

"Frost/Nixon" *** 1\2 (out of ****)

Ron Howard insist that "Frost/Nixon" should not be viewed as anything more than a film about Richard M. Nixon. We are not suppose to draw connections to our current president and the political environment we find ourselves in. Howard says this is only about Nixon and his wrong doing. Well, Howard can say what he wants but he can't stop people from thinking. Our environment dictates our feelings and understanding of the world we live in. "Frost/Nixon" then becomes the film of our times.

If I came away with anything after watching this film it was that no man is above the law. No politician can get away without being held responsible for their action. All men must be held accountable.

How strange that this film opened within the same week in Illinois when our own governor, Rod Blagojevich, brought shame and disgrace to our state on alleged corruption charges due to taped phone calls. Corruption was around in Nixon's day, today and tomorrow. It doesn't matter whether it is Richard Nixon, George W. Bush or Rod Blagojevich. The names change but the corruption remains the same.

I've noticed lately, for about the past decade or so, society seems ready, willing & able to forgive Nixon for his criminal acts. After his death in 1994, historians and political insiders were starting to revisit Nixon's legacy. Maybe he wasn't as bad as we thought he was. The following year Oliver Stone released his bio on Nixon with Anthony Hopkins in the lead. The tagline for that movie was "greatness was in his grasp". That film suggested that Nixon was a man who wanted to do good but was caught in circumstances out of his control. He never wanted the Vietnam War, understood the protesters, but, wanted to leave with honor.

Now when we think back on Nixon we don't judge him so hard. Film after film has shown us what a tragic figure he was. Watch Robert Altman's masterpiece "Secret Honor" and tell me you don't feel a tad bit of sympathy towards him. Nixon was a Shakespearean character. A man who brought himself down.

I saw Stone's "W", his look at our current President. I didn't care for that movie very much. I said at the time I didn't find Bush to be an interesting character. I compared him to Nixon in that review. Speaking strictly as a characters, Nixon is the far more interesting. Nixon was an intelligent man. Say what you will about him but don't doubt his intelligence. He was a man who was smart enough to realize what he was doing was wrong. He understood the consequences of his actions. President Bush is seen as a man who was in over his head. A man who was taken advantage of by men around him who had greater ambitions and used him as a tool to meet their ends. As a result there is no conflict within Bush. He doesn't understand what went on around him. But Nixon, now that's another story.

"Frost/Nixon" is based on Peter Morgan's London and Broadway play of the same title. On Broadway it starred both Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, both who reprise their roles here. And Morgan even adapted his own play.

The film is told from David Frost's (Sheen) point of view. He is presented as a man looking for a second chance. A man looking to redeem his career. He had a successful television show in America but after it was cancelled he never recovered. He moved to Australia where he managed to get another show, playing host to such guest as the Bee Gees. He yearns for the opportunity to make an impact. He sees Nixon as that opportunity.

At this time in history Nixon has just resigned. He has left office in disgraced. His Vice-President, Gerald Ford, has given him a full pardon. Nixon will not have to face trial. This just makes the public even more upset. Same old story of dirty politics at work. Nixon however also yearns for a chance to tell his story. He says he did some good while in the White House. He was in fact an expert on foreign policy. Probably our most knowledgeable in the last 30 years. But with Watergate, all of his so-called accomplishments have disappeared. He will forever be remembered for one things; Watergate. He wants to set the record straight.

Frank Langella's performance as Nixon may be one of, if not the best, of his career. There have been few highlights in my opinion. He was excellent in the 1970 Mel Brooks comedy "The Twelve Chairs", is said to have given one of the better Dracula performances and got a lot of attention last year for his performance in "Starting Out in the Evening".

In Langella we see Nixon's guilt. We see the remorse, the inner conflict and the desire to fight back. There are several scenes when Langella's face tell us more than words could ever convey. He stares off into space. We can tell his mind is at work. He's plotting something.

One of the more harrowing scenes comes near the end of the film. Frost and Nixon are about to have their last interview. Nixon calls Frost to tell them how they are both alike in many ways. They both want a second chance. They were never given a proper first chance because of the liberal elites. Nixon goes on expressing how these interviews are his chance to redeem himself. He later confesses he is a bit drunk. But they say when we drink we speak the truth. We allow our true feelings to be revealed. Here we feel sorry for him.

So much attention has been thrown at Langella that Michael Sheen I felt has not been getting his due respect. He gives a very good performance. If Langella is the highpoint of the film, Sheen is right there with him. He holds his own against him. I can only imagine since both men played these roles on Broadway they are very comfortable in them. There is also a good amount of chemistry between them.

Peter Morgan has also written "The Queen", one of my favorite films of 2006 and "The Last King of Scotland", a film I had some problems with. His script here, as in "The Queen", gives us an insider's feel. What we see on-screen we accept as truth. This must be the way it was.

Some pretentious film snobs might think Ron Howard makes mainstream, sentimental Hollywood crap. I don't feel that way about him. Yes, his films are emotional but they are involving. They don't feel cheaply sentimental. I enjoyed "Cinderella Man", "Apollo 13" and "A Beautiful Mind". "Frost/Nixon", for all of its fine points and there are many, didn't involve me as much as his other films. It wasn't as emotional as I would have liked it.

Still, this is a fine film. It represents the world we live in. Of all the films I have seen this year, this is the one I think has the strongest chance of winning the Oscar for best picture. This is the film of our times.