Friday, September 13, 2013

On DVD: Frost/Nixon (2008)

"Frost/Nixon" adapts a British stage production into an Oscar-nominated feature film from director-co-producer Ron Howard, with Frank Langella as former President Richard Nixon, and Michael Sheen (no relation to Charlie and Martin) as entertainer David Frost, whose interviews with Nixon would be his last major contribution to American television in the 70's.

The film begins with a collection of archived news footage from CBS & NBC (actual reports by Roger Mudd, Walter Cronkite, John Chancellor, and others) chronicling Nixon's resignation from the Presidency nearly 40 years ago, his 2nd term ending in disgrace over Watergate. However, the body of the film is more about the preparation of the interview series, portraying Frost as a jet setting playboy, an image that American audiences weren't accustomed to during Frost's earlier talk show run here. Sheen plays Frost with a great deal of bubbly energy, and some of his facials made me think that if Mike Myers decides not to continue as Austin Powers, Sheen would make an adequate successor.

Following is a trailer:



I wanted to like this film, but there was something a little off-putting that I can't quite put my finger on.

Rating: C.

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