Frost/Nixon

Right out of the gate, yes, the film isn’t 100% accurate. You want accuracy, read a book. This is, ostensibly, a movie about two men and the chess game of their interview, but it’s more than that. It’s about two men at different stations in life, struck with the same curse: insecurity. Nixon desperately wants to be redeemed in the public eye, and Frost wants to reclaim fleeting fame he had. Both view the interview as the chance to get it, and try to out-maneuver each other for the win. Both leads give fascinating performances, but Michael Sheen is the better of the two. Frost is a hurricane of bravado, concealing a man who can’t even admit to himself he’s in a professional tailspin. When confronted with the shifty, tricky Nixon, he can’t bluster and charm his way out of it, putting him on the back foot. When he finally understands what he should be doing and why, watching Frost’s change is electric. He becomes what we want him to be, and not for personal gain or glory, but because it’s what is right. Frank Langella, meanwhile, does have Nixon’s “smartest man in the room” arrogance, paranoia and desperate need for validation down. What hurts the performance a bit is his attempt at Nixon’s voice. It’s more of an SNL caricature of Nixon than an imitation of him. Sometimes, it works, but sometimes, it’s very distracting. Most of the rest of the supporting cast is rock solid. Kevin Bacon does great as Nixon’s aide de camp, and Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell are fantastic as Frost’s research team. Wasted, however, is Rebecca Hall as Frost’s girlfriend. Beyond their flirtations at the beginning of the movie, she has little to do but shuffle about in the background and accompany Frost about town. It’s a useless role, but it never detracts from the movie. It merely exists. But what makes this movie is the script and the duel in the interview sessions. Nixon trying to rattle Frost before the first session with discussion of Frost’s “effeminate” shoes, or asking right before the second session if Frost participated in “fornication” the previous night. Watching Frost get trounced in the first session, try to adjust in the second but not expect Nixon’s temper, and finally make the adjustments for the final session and completely destroy Nixon’s confidence. It’s like a boxing match with words, and it’s a great thing to watch unfold.