Thursday, January 29, 2009

Frost/Nixon: Sheen/Langella


"When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal"; one of the most shocking statements ever made by a U.S. President, was declared by Richard Nixon during his groundbreaking interviews with David Frost. In the future, this quote may gain additional historical importance; as it may also be remembered as a thrilling and pivotal scene in arguably, the best film of 2008. The infamous line was dramatically delivered by Frank Langella in his impeccable portrayal of the disgraced politician.

Frost/Nixon is a docudrama based on the true story surrounding the infamous interviews. David Frost was a flamboyant British talk-show host, and Nixon was an arrogant, yet bitter former President. Frost/Nixon succeeds on many levels; one, it is a political history lesson that is equally informative and entertaining. Secondly, it shows the power, importance and influence that strong journalism can garner. Thirdly, it is a balanced and insightful examination of the title characters, largely due to the exceptional performances by Michael Sheen as Frost, and Langella as Nixon. The film reveals the qualities and shortcomings of each man; enabling the viewer to admire them in their hard-fought accomplishments, and to empathize with them in their difficult defeats.