Centred around the legendary interviews that Sir David Frost conducted with Richard Nixon in the 1970s and based on the Broadway play of the same name, the Ron Howard-directed film Frost/Nixon showcases the story of how the conversations were organised, the mindsets of both Frost’s camp and Nixon’s camp before and during the interviews (similar to a game of chess), and the aftermath of the airing of the interviews that ultimately put a nail in the coffin of Nixon’s reputation. There are documentary style interviews conducted with some of the characters in the supporting roles but the real focus of the film is the ambitious and maverick David Frost, who has everything to lose after his own TV shows get cancelled, and the crooked yet almost frail Richard Nixon, who also has everything to win following the crushing Watergate scandal.
Michael Sheen has his Frost impersonation down to a tee, despite not looking a thing like him, and is well casted, whilst Frank Langella’s portrayal of Nixon is one that is powerful yet somehow emotive and quite sad in some ways, as the character comes to terms with the fact that the secrets he hides are too big to cover up for the rest of his life. The supporting cast, full of more famous names than I remember at the time of its release, is very competent and very well-equipped, with Sam Rockwell and Kevin Bacon the two stand-outs, both of whom play characters with completely different motives.
It’s a succinct, well made, and direct film that does not fall victim to overstaying its welcome and if you had told me that this was originally a play on Broadway then I wouldn’t have guessed and that in itself is quite an achievement.
