Frost/Nixon
Frost/Nixon is the untold story behind those historic late 70’s face to face interviews between deposed president Richard Nixon and British entertainer David Frost as the unlikely interviewer. He landed the interview by appealing to Nixon’s soft spot – his wallet. What was supposed to be a mea culpa for tricky Dickie almost turned out to be a second coming as it soon became apparent that despite Frost’s cocky confidence he was in over his head in a financial way and further than Sarah Palin in a preparedness way. In the Nixon camp Kevin Bacon does a yeoman’s job as Jack Brennan but Diane Sawyer is probably just as glad that her portrayal as a Nixon advisor is relegated to a silent on camera role. Backup for Frost has Oliver Platt as executive editor Bob Zelnick and Sam Rockwell as James Reston, Jr. the passionate academic who saves the day. Michael Sheen as Frost is terrific. Most of the time if you close your eyes you’d swear it’s the real guy talking but he goes even further by pulling you right in to the angst that Frost felt when he was so close to catastrophic failure. Frank Langella’s take on Richard Milhous Nixon is masterful with the rounded shoulders, jowly hang dog speech pattern and fake smile that so perfectly complement the widow’s peak fronting a shock of slick helmet hair. Although the real interviews never put Nixon back on track this role may do just that for Langella who should get some chatter during the upcoming awards season.