Frost / Nixon

Review by Sean Lynch

You would have thought after everyone in the world avoided the Ron Howard helmed Cinderella Man (starring Russell Crowe prior to his American Gangster / Body Of Lies comeback), that Richie Cunningham would have decided that he had just about had his fill of Boxing epics.

However, after being glued to my seat for the admittedly lengthy running time of his latest, Frost/Nixon, you kind of get the feeling that he is only truly understanding the potential cinematic power a boxing movie can have on an audience.

That said - Rocky this is not.

In fact there isn't a single physical punch thrown at any point throughout Frost/Nixon, nor is there a swollen lip, white towel or spit bucket in sight.

And it's for that very reason, Ron Howard has crafted one of the most compelling cinematic bouts of the decade.

From the pen of screenwriter Peter Morgan (the man behind the critically acclaimed.. but slightly weak The Queen, and the excellent The Last King of Scotland) comes the story of the electrifying televisual verbal battle between disgraced US President Richard Nixon and UK comedian-turned-journo (think Andrew Denton with a fake tan) David Frost.

A story that changed the life trajectories of both men, and a story that has been relatively left untold until now.

As history tells us, for the three years after being forced from office (although, to a current generation, Nixon's crimes seem like nothing when you compare them to the adventures of Bush II), Nixon remained silent.

However, in the summer of 1977, the steely commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one on one no-holds-barred interview with David Frost (who was selected on the basis that he was a "performer" and would shirk the hard questions in favour of a fluffy celebrity style chat) to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency.

However, what should have been one of the most coveted interviews ever to hit TV screens (Frost was the first to realise there was a chance to capitalise on the monster audience Nixon's dismissal attracted - as well as pioneering cheque book journalism) soon turns into a rotten egg that not a single US network will touch with a ten foot pole.

So now Frost is left with massive unpaid debts, his credibility shot... and an interview with a man who could talk his way out of, well... Watergate... that no one is willing to air.

To be honest, I've never totally understood the whole "Watergate" situation. I wasn't around for it, I've never really investigated it - my knowledge of it starts and ends with the various references made about it on the silver screen (which is a bit scary when you think about it - just imagine if all our kids were being taught their history via repeats of Forest Gump).

Thankfully, Frost / Nixon doesn't delve to far into the Watergate event itself, because quite frankly, that's not it's aim.

Howard has shaped this as a film (which was originally a stage play - and a great one at that) about admission, regret and redemption. A film about fears and forgiveness. A film about right and wrong - or at the very least - acknowledging it.

The performances are excellent with Frank Langella as Nixon (there are certain angles where you could swear it was the man himself) and Michael Sheen as Frost (who also played Tony Blair in The Queen, and seems to have found himself a niche as the go-to man for historic UK figures).

The two work off each other with such ease, passion and intensity - while keeping a genuine sense of friendly chemistry between the pair. 

Also delivering are the always reliable Oliver Platt and Kevin Bacon who play the men behind the scenes on either side.

However, the real strength of Frost/Nixon comes during the interviews themselves. It is almost beautiful in a way, as Howard subtlety and powerfully captures the nuances of the verbal and mental boxing match between the interviewer and the interviewee - always ensuring we are aware who has the upper hand.

It's astonishing just how much emotion and power can be achieved in cinema through close ups and something so simple as silence, and it's a credit to all involved that they have been able to pull something off like this. It's a lesson that Michael Bay has yet to learn!

In fact, the film feels and plays out so much like a traditional sports movie - you almost feel like getting up and cheering when the winner is declared by the film's end. I guess that's why the recent presidential campaign was so captivating - because in a way - politics is just one strategic game after another.

While Frost/Nixon could have just as easily been a Telemovie (I always thought The Queen had a TV Mini series feel about it as well), there is no denying that it is one of the most captivating films of the year.

4 out of 5

Frost / Nixon
Australian release: 26th December, 2008
Official Site: Frost/Nixon
Cast: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones
Director: Ron Howard