|
|
Movie: Frost/Nixon
Director: Ron Howard
Actors: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Macfadyen, Oliver Platt
|
|
Frost/Nixon is based on the play of the same title, which had a very successful run in London and on Broadway. The stars of the stage piece, Michael Sheen (David Frost) and Frank Langella (Richard Nixon), also portray the leading roles in Ron Howard's film adaptation. The story, based on true events, is set after Nixon's Watergate scandal, which eventually led to his resignation. A few years later, British journalist David Frost decides to invite the former president to an exclusive interview, forcing Nixon to confess and acknowledge his abuse of power. Frost, on the other hand, doesn't have any experience as a political reporter and doesn't receive the financial support of the big TV stations. Things heat up during the interview, spread over 4 separate sessions, which could be the biggest conversation in history.
It's clear that Michael Sheen and Frank Langella know their characters from the inside out thanks to their 'practice' on stage, resulting in a spectacular chemistry between the two actors. Especially Langella impresses, he offers a different Nixon, besides the familiar characteristic posture and features, we all know.
And let's not forget the incredible supporting roles, Matthew Macfadyen as Frost's producer John Burt, his two advisors Bob Zelnick and James Reston Jr., portrayed by Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell. Kevin Bacon is fantastic as Jack Brennan, Nixon's loyal chief of staff.
Ron Howard, director of A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code, really delivered one of his best flicks to date. Breaking down the fascinating story into the struggle to get the project off the ground and the emotionally charged interview in the end. What really worked for me is that besides the political concept, this film is more of a psychological thriller, which slowly transforms into a brutal verbal boxing match between an underdog versus a powerful former commander-in-chief.
Written by Reggy 01/12/08
© universal 2008
|
|
Copyright © 2003-2008 movieXplosion.com