Frost / Nixon - 3rd November 2013

I admit it, this is not a Tuesday Night, so to blog a Tuesday night is Film Night film, on a Sunday is pushing the envelope of sensibility somewhat, but we have been pretty busy here at TNiFN Towers, so a Tuesday film was never really going to happen. However we have caught up and decided to throw in a quick Sunday night version of TNiFN, just because we could.

So this week's film was a departure for us, gone is the chick-flick and rom-com, as we throw down the gauntlet on a gritty political drama;

Frost / Nixon

The subject matter speaks for itself, we all know about the rise and subsequent fall of President Richard Millhouse Nixon, as we are also aware of the varied talents of one David Frost, but do we know much about when they met for a series of interviews in the late 70's? This film follows the drama as the story of the story unfolds.

Writer Peter Morgan manages to capture in his screenplay an incredible tense, dramatic interplay between the disgraced former president and the jet setting TV presenter, in this gritty film. The action, if it can be described as that, is akin to a boxing match, where the underdog is clearly Frost and the supreme champion is Nixon, but can Frost make anything from this battle? Certainly the mainstream US media do not think so, as none of the major news networks are interested in taking the interviews and so the majority of the funding to pull off the recordings, is produced by Frost himself.

Once the film gets underway, there is a modicum of scene setting, some background information, therefore imparting sufficient information for us to get drawn into the main action, which of course is the interviews themselves and it is a testament to Peter Morgan's writing and Ron Howard's direction that a film that ostensibly deals with two grown men talking in front of some camera's becomes a gripping, dramatic and fascinating production. Obviously, if you know about the history, you will know the outcome, but even so the journey to that inevitability is most entertaining, enlightening and intriguing.

Frank Langella provides a magnificent performance as the jowl wobbling Nixon, who vehemently defends himself of any wrong-doings in front of Frost. Michael Sheen is as always a real treat as the ever smiling Frost, managing to capture the nuances of the TV giant, in almost every way. Supported ably by a talented and well picked cast, notably Kevin Bacon as the ex president's adviser come bodyguard Jack Brennan. Also the supporting team for Frost led by John Birt the producer of the interviews (Matthew Macfadyen) and two researchers James Reston and Bob Zelnick, played by Sam Rockwell and Bob Zelnick respectively.

So, this pugilistic battle between political heavyweight and TV's up and coming chat show host is an odd mix. Nixon clearly plays Frost as a fool and dominates the first three days of filming and it looks to be a lost cause for Frost and Nixon will come away from it and seen a better light as a result. However in the final day's filming the tables are turned and Frost produces body- blow after body-blow, forcing the president to admit his failings, the cover-ups and eventually an apology to the American people over the scandal that was Watergate.

Frost / Nixon journals a very important stage in political history and does so with aplomb. As a gritty political drama, based on reality it is perfection. It has the ability to keep you focused and it's also a movie where the underdog comes up trumps, after facing adversity and we all like that in a film.

TNiFN Rating 75%

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