Movie Review - Frost/Nixon (2008)

[Dave Gray]

Frost/Nixon (2008)

Premise: Chronicling the an unlikely television interview between a talk show host and former president Richard Nixon, after Watergate.

Rating: Though it sometimes struggled with stakes and feels like small potatoes in the current political environment, it's a reminder of the importance of the media in finding truth and seeking accountability.

After finishing the Crown's 4th season, I've been on a historical drama kick.

This movie is a very straight-forward telling of the chain of events that led a British talk show host to garner a hard-hitting interview with Nixon, that essentially ended up with an admission of guilt, something that neither party probably thought possible.  For me, never having lived through those events, I found the thing that connected to me most was the feeling from Frost's team of anger towards this man and a lack of accountability, not just for Watergate, but also for Vietnam was something I hadn't considered.  Even though he was out of office, people thought he skated scot-free and never really owned any of those misdeeds or was made to answer for anything, even symbolically if not criminally.

Interestingly enough, I think that those small-time stakes...just getting a guy to admit it and the process to get there, is what is admirable about this movie.  It does stray, struggling to convey the important historical context and also grappling with wanting to make it a personal story about Frost's financial risk and potential ruin if things couldn't make things happen.  The stakes are kinda all over the place.  Is this about a simple search for honesty?  Is it about a nation that deserves a chronicle on the record?  Is it about one man putting it all of the line, and taking a risk for something he believes in?  Is it about the importance of a media that holds its politicians accountable?  I suppose it's about all of these things, but without fully committing to any of them.

The whole thing is well acted and the direction by Ron Howard is very level and by the book, something that normally I don't care for in biopics.

And then there's Trump.  I'm watching this story while we're amidst a similar scandal.  It's just hard to look back on this story as a hopeful triumph when it doesn't appear we've learned those lessons.  And Nixon is completely tame by comparison, so though it's not the film's fault, but I don't think I leave with the feelings that Frost/Nixon intends.

[bsmooth]

I thought it was a very good movie. I enjoyed and it seemed to very historically accurate.

[Downunder Dolphan]

I remember seeing this when it was released, new years eve 2008. I haven't seen it since then, but it still gets a solid four stars from me.

The story and acting were the things that stood out - even though visually I had a hard time visualizing Frank Langella as Nixon (and trying not to visualize Michael Sheen as former UK PM Tony Blair) I think the effort put in by the actors and director made it work enough to buy in.

The attention to Frost I feel is an important part of the equation - up until then he was not taken particularly seriously as a tough interviewer (obviously a reason Nixon agreed to do the interviews, as he thought he was weak enough that he could spin this to his advantage). Combined with the financial risk, this built up the background story that this was a high stakes exercise for both men.

[bsmooth]

I remember seeing this when it was released, new years eve 2008. I haven't seen it since then, but it still gets a solid four stars from me.

The story and acting were the things that stood out - even though visually I had a hard time visualizing Frank Langella as Nixon (and trying not to visualize Michael Sheen as former UK PM Tony Blair) I think the effort put in by the actors and director made it work enough to buy in.

The attention to Frost I feel is an important part of the equation - up until then he was not taken particularly seriously as a tough interviewer (obviously a reason Nixon agreed to do the interviews, as he thought he was weak enough that he could spin this to his advantage). Combined with the financial risk, this built up the background story that this was a high stakes exercise for both men.

I loved Nixon's line about Frost's shoes.