Frost/Nixon

In this film, everything works like a well-oiled Swiss watch of the highest quality. Both of the actors in the titular lead roles deliver excellent performances in a dialogue duel focusing on a detailed portrayal of their characters, shot and edited in the most appealing way possible. This makes Frost/Nixon completely unique and it’s a testimony to Ron Howard’s extraordinary ability to render difficult subject matter in a way that pleases even the most consumerist viewer. No matter how good they may be, films of this kind are usually protracted, intimate and gloomy, offering an intellectual exercise rather than emotion or attractive visuals. Together with Hans Zimmer’s music and the ferocious chemistry (but also humility and respect) between the two rivals played by Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, the visuals of Frost/Nixon make this a juicy, sexy film delicacy. (02/25/2009)

My Oscar favourite this year. After the awful The Da Vinci Code, Ron Howard must have had a fit of creativity and I applaud him. This film is one of the best political dramas in many years. It is engagingly shot, not boringly descriptive, on the contrary, through an interesting verbal TV duel between the two leading characters, it presents the socially tense period after the biggest stain on the political culture of the history of the United States, the Watergate affair (when a large part of the American society could not stomach Ford's amnesty on Richard Nixon's transgressions). With his piercing gaze, thoughtful diction and mesmerizing confidence, Frank Langella is about ten times more devilish than Nixon himself, and I hope he has a pleasant Oscar night. (02/06/2009)

With this Oscar contender I have the same problem as with all other films by Howard, technically it’s flawless, but the emotional effect on me is zero. Those two hours went by nicely, the Frost-Nixon interview was great, but I don’t feel like watching this film ever again. If I had to compare it with this year’s other big political drama (Milk), Frost/Nixon would win by a long shot because I felt that this one at least knows what it Is about, while Milk felt very empty. (01/25/2009)

Reflecting on one of the black shadows of American history while thoroughly dissecting diverse human characters, this two-hour conversation is propelled by Howard's reliably craftsman-like direction and the amazing acting performance by everyone (!) involved. Yet despite the exceptionalism of the supporting parts, it is ultimately the excellent Martin Sheen and his crackpot 1970s metrosexual who falls flat on his face, and especially (I’m not afraid to use the word) the brilliant Frank Langella, who do in fact carry the film. The way Langella inhabited the character of Richard Nixon - a tall but stooped man who has been whittled to the bone by two years of affairs, yet still has that dark sparkle in his eyes and the sharp tongue with which he can fend off opponents - reminds me in many ways of oil tycoon D. D. Lewis. The fact that Langella was politically overlooked in the Oscar race in favor of the homosexual Milk made me jump out of my chair. And finally, there’s Ron Howard - the religious conspiracy screaming is forgiven because the visual concept (excellent editing and cinematography) and overall swing bring the film to the absolute peak. Along with Stone’s W., this is one of the most interesting "political" films of recent times (maybe even years). (01/26/2009)

A boxing match between a political champion and a loser from an entertainment slum, 4 rounds at a dazzling pace and nerve-wracking gradation. Ron Howard undoubtedly trimmed the political issue, adjusted both characters and put them into the ever popular scheme "David vs. Goliath KO in the last round"... However, I am honestly searching in vain, trying to find out when I enjoyed it more and when, behind the brilliantly elaborated scheme, I found such an exciting background and point that goes beyond mere entertainment. The Frost/Nixon duel reveals the part of politics one has to follow breathlessly, media fireworks, a powerful story and a remarkable message about the power of the television screen. I don't think this film will surpass the other Oscar favorite, in my opinion. (02/22/2009)

Just the idea of making this like a boxing match with a “former world champion vs. a talent who remained in the limelight" is excellent. On the one hand it is a fight for atonement/forgiveness and on the other for an admission/apology. Sheen acts so well and he doesn’t let the phenomenal Langella steal the movie. But still, it has its faults. It is still just a regular Howard movie. In other words, a simplified fairytale, this time political. But the list of factual sins is just too long (and not just what the IMDb reviewers mentioned). Primarily Nixon’s tirade during his nighttime phone call, this scene is like comic book movies where the most villainous ever villain reveals his complete plan (including the weaker bits) for conquering the world. I understand that from a movie point of view this is essential and needed, but then the result is unavoidably fiction which has nothing to do with reality. I personally think that to leave out that phone call and stay with the real state of affairs would have been better. It would at least leave room for viewer imagination about whether Frost really got Nixon down on the floor on his own or whether this wasn’t just another brilliant move by Nixon, letting him leave the scene maintain a little self-respect and, in a way, fame. (04/09/2009)

It's not often that a Hollywood studio reaches for socially significant material and allows for the creation of a film that deviates from the established templates of comic book adaptations, romantic and family comedies, or other entertainment genres. Frost/Nixon is an exceptionally successful film from a technical standpoint, with careful casting, a quality screenplay, and thoughtful direction. If there is a challenge somewhere, it lies in the subject matter itself, in what the creators see as crucial, and what they want to communicate. In reality, Frost/Nixon is not a film about politics and a controversial but influential figure of the time. It is about the role of the media, specifically television, which took on a decisive influence in shaping public opinion in the second half of the 20th century. It is no coincidence that the film repeatedly mentions the famous television debate between Kennedy and Nixon, where Nixon's defeat was decided by the sweat on his face, which appeared unpleasing on camera and made Nixon look older. The decisive moments of Nixon's scandal took place out of the television cameras' view. The ant-like work of investigators, investigative journalists, and behind-the-scenes negotiations of lobbyists during the impeachment process was all beyond the scope of this film as if it didn't exist. By the time the film's story takes place, Nixon was already out of the game, and the duel with Frost was merely a symbolic end to his tenure in office. The televised duel at the political level did not signify a significant turning point, and Nixon continued to publicly function as a private individual and a veteran of the Republican Party, which even considered resurrecting Nixon and his re-candidacy after Ronald Reagan's second term. Frost was and remained just an entertainer who made a mark in media history by managing to bring these events back to television screens and turn them into a major hit several months after the government scandal and the president's resignation. Frost approached the interview as an opportunity to gain visibility and make money. He didn't understand politics, but he knew and understood television as a medium very well. Overall impression: 80%. (02/22/2013)

An enthralling conversational drama that goes from a simple interview to an event with potential unexpected consequences. The acting performances are at times breathtaking and Langella is utterly convincing as Nixon. And Howard knows exactly what he's doing, thickening the atmosphere immediately during the first tape when Nixon takes Frost down, and escalating it twice, first on the phone and then during the last 20 percent of the movie. I don't understand why he did the Langdon series when he is much better at this sort of thing. Plus, Zimmer's music is once again top notch. (04/29/2009)

It's almost unbelievable, but Howard surprised and made a solid film. I wouldn't say that such a “ordinary”, purely conversational approach could captivate more than any of Howard's action scenes from previous works. Without sentiment, without fluff, only the most efficient and relatively gentle reconstruction of the well-known conversation between fantastically a played Nixon and an excellent Frost. The performances were phenomenal and that's what it was primarily about. (06/12/2010)

Of the films with Peter Morgan's screenwriting signature that I've seen so far, Frost/Nixon is unfortunately one of the weaker ones. On the one hand, there are perfect performances by Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, and Kevin Bacon, and a neat documentary atmosphere. On the other hand, the characters are pretty much useless, including (unfortunately) Rebecca Hall, whose purpose I didn't fully understand, and some off-camera scenes are barely believable, for example, the late-night phone call. I guess the original stage play is more concentrated, and thus probably better. (08/29/2023)

Howard once again proves that even the most challenging and conversational material can be handled in a very attractive and audience-appealing way. The film is pulled into the first league not only by the veteran actors, who would be able to play quite believably perhaps anything, but above all by the unique, from the period perspective, perfectly fine-tuned production design, thanks to which everything fits together beautifully and instead of focusing only on the dialogue and historical facts, the viewer can admire basically everything that makes up each and every detailed scene: the music, the sets, the specific hairstyles, the unobtrusive humorous interludes, and above all the tremendous spark between the protagonists, which is one of the most forward-thinking things that has ever come out of such man-on-man stories. Howard shows again that if he’s handed a script of undoubted quality, he can never screw up. Earlier I would have given it a clear five stars, but nowadays I save it for movies of a slightly different (not formal) calibre. 85% (01/31/2014)

Frank Langella should have gotten an Oscar instead of that stupid parody of a gay guy by Penn, and Ron Howard should have pursued independent film instead of overpriced adaptations of mediocre novels. (10/27/2010)

Ron Howard is a patriot, he really goes all out. Americanism and pathos can be felt in every one of his films - in all directions. Well, Americans are generally proud of themselves, let's wish them that. What he shows in the film "Frost/Nixon" is a celebration of the nation. Besides that, there is, of course, an effort to portray an American "hero" in his "true" colors. Nixon is a controversial figure and will remain so. A person who says that what the president does cannot be illegal because if the president does it, it is automatically legal cannot be a controversial figure. Frank Langella delivers an incredible performance, as does Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, or Sam Rockwell. Frank, however, outshines them all, among other things, because the make-up artists brilliantly had their way with his face. It is not a perfect Nixon, but he is as close as possible to maintaining some of Langella's traits. But the actors carry the film, which is nothing more than a reconstruction of the making of the interviews conducted by David Frost with Richard Nixon. I think watching the interviews themselves would bring the same, maybe even more. The film attempted to portray all the characters as real, but still couldn't resist caricaturing and simplifying them into "strong" shots. Without the performances, the film was nothing. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/frost-vs-nixon-bos-vs-kung-fu-trocha.html (02/16/2013)