Frost/Nixon

Frost/Nixon (R) ***1/2

Writer: Peter Morgan based on his stage play
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Rebecca Hall, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt.

I am doing some house cleaning on 2008 movies so I can publish my best and worst of 2008 article which is coming very soon. I wanted to revisit 'Frost/Nixon' after seeing the real Frost/Nixon interviews which is available on DVD. I must say Peter Morgan and Ron Howard do a pretty decent job of re-creating these interviews. They do make it much more dramatic in the movie when Frost grills Nixon. For example in the movie there is some shouting but in the real interviews it was more low key. The real hook here is the great performances and Oscar caliber work by Langella and Sheen. There is a great supporting cast and a wonderful recreation of the late 70's. This might be Ron Howard's most assured and best job of directing but that doesn't make it his best movie. 'Parenthood' and 'Apollo 13' are his finest movies. I didn't love this movie but I was enthralled by it and glued to the screen. Langella and Sheen are so good and Rebecca Hall, who has impressed me so far, is nice to look at and a good actress and a star in the making.