Frost/Nixon [Bryan]

Being something of a political junkie, I was excited to see Frost/Nixon, a dramatic retelling of the interviews between David Frost and disgraced ex-president Richard Nixon in 1977. The film, however, exceeded even my wildest expectations. At the end of the movie, a collective "wow" seemed to rise up from the movie theater.

Just think of this: The movie is about a political interview. These things happen all time time, and they are among the most boring events on television. Yet, Ron Howard tells the story so that the audience is hanging on every word, every nuance, every expression, every turn of phrase. The interview is depicted as a moment of high personal drama for both Nixon and Frost, and the movie makes it seem as if justice itself hangs in the balance.

The film has a human touch the moved me immensely. Nixon is shown as a tormented figure, haunted by personal and political demons. He is depicted as a figure always trying to fit in with an elite crowd that would never accept him. He strives to find that last shred of dignity in the life of the monster that he had become. Frank Langella's performance as Nixon is breathtaking. I continued to loath Nixon's crimes, and the movie certainly does not exonerate him. But at the same time, I came to see myself in him as a somewhat defensive, insecure, paranoid, and imperfect person. Langella turns Nixon into an everyman, which is quite an achievement. The rest of the cast is also brilliant.

The movie, of course, like most historical films, is not perfectly true to history. It exaggerates Nixon's sympathetic side, the extent of his "confession" in the actual interviews, and the complicity of both Frost and Nixon in manipulating the made-for-TV event. There was a sentiment about the movie, however, which rang true to me from what I know about Nixon. And from what little I understand about human nature.

So, you should go see it. It is, I believe, a remarkable achievement.