Some comments on FROST/NIXON: the movie

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 5:20pm

Frank Langella is giving an Oscar-worthy performance in Ron Howard's slow film adaptation of Peter Morgan's FROST/NIXON. This two-hour talky is only alive in the first and last twenty minutes; the middle 80 is only intermittently entertaining and, well, boring.

There was an immediacy that was present in the stage production, directed by Michael Grandage. On screen, it's just too damn slow. Ron Howard's fault. The actors are all very strong, especially Kevin Bacon and Rebecca Hall.

Of course, one cannot speak higher of Frank Langella, probably one of the best, most underrated actors of the generation. He's evenly matched by Michael Sheen as Frost, but, just as on stage, Langella overshadows everything.

A great movie it's not; a popcorn flick with the greatest screen performance in recent memory, it is.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 10:40pm

Totally agree, though I think there were some excellent sequences in between- basically the montage of strategy, which I enjoyed.

I thought that the beginning and the last interview until the end were great.

And I especially enjoyed Sam Rockwell, who I thought was excellent.

[BrianS]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 2:29am

doesn't "popcorn flick" connotate more light-hearted fare?

I actually liked the middle section with the Frost's arrogance and Nixon's manipulation. Obviously, it kicks into high gear from the point of that phone call onward, but it was a much better adaptation to film then most I've seen (still looking forward to seeing Doubt).

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 10:49am

"Obviously, it kicks into high gear from the point of that phone call onward"

The phone call is a device used to jump start a story that is dying. There is no evidence that the phone call the movie portrays was made.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 10:52am

"There is no evidence that the phone call the movie portrays was made."

And there was no claim by the filmmakers that this film is a precise historical account.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 12:04pm

The phone call, according to Morgan, is entirely fictional.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 1:16pm

I dont agree at all, i think the middle is just as entertaining as the opening 20 and closing to mins