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In March of 1977, British television personality David
Frost interviewed former President of the United States
Richard Nixon in a series of four ninety-minute installments.
On the basis of the film that recreates these interviews,
Ron Howard’s “Frost/Nixon,” I wish I had been around to
see them when they originally aired. ***
Partly, it has to do with the fact that they revealed
a great deal about Nixon, and I’m not merely referring to
historical facts; his on-camera mannerisms spoke volumes
about him, from his carefully worded, intentionally long-winded
answers to his damp upper lip and the handkerchief he used
to blot it with. ***
Screenwriter Peter Morgan, who adapted his own stage
play, could have easily written Nixon as a tiresome cliché,
a loathsome fallen hero who would live out his life in disgrace.
Instead, he opted to reveal the humanity behind the presidency--he
a deeply insecure man, self-destructive and paranoid, a
non-people person that somehow got into a very gregarious
position. ***
Frank Langella, reprising his stage role, gave one
of 2008’s best performances as Nixon. He captured not only
the man’s distinctive voice, but also his sly sense of humor,
one that seemed less like a personality quirk and more like
a defense mechanism. It’s quite possible it was the last
line of communication; it’s no secret that the real Nixon
hated the press, and for all intents and purposes, the press
hated him back, especially after a string of political errors--not
the least of which was the Watergate scandal--led to his
1974 resignation. ***
There’s a certain dignity to the way the film handles
these aspects of Nixon’s life, although it may have been
nothing more than an act of desperation on his part. Despite
his troubled past and stormy presidency, he clung to the
hope that he would somehow secure his legacy. It’s no wonder,
then, that he accepted Frost’s offer for a series of interviews
(which would come along with a check for $600,000 and a
share of the interview’s profits). ***
Here enters Frost (Michael Sheen, also reprising his
stage role), who found moderate success in England, Australia,
and the United States as a broadcaster of sorts. He’s initially
portrayed as a deeply charismatic playboy--sociable, laidback,
and witty, a man that, according to Morgan, would consider
a cocktail party his natural habitat. His love of women
is more or less pushed aside in favor of his one relationship
with Caroline Cushing (Rebecca Hall), who--in the film,
at least--falls for Frost as he flies to Los Angeles for
the Nixon interviews. ***
But as the film progresses, he gradually reveals himself
as a man desperate to be a part of the journalistic in-crowd,
especially in America, where success is “unlike success
anywhere else.” While bothered by Nixon’s denial of the
Watergate cover-up, the truth is that Frost was also hoping
for the interviews to revive his career. ***
And that’s the genius of this movie: It shows how both
men are more alike than they are different. They’re moral
opponents, yet they clamor to stay in the spotlight, and
they rely heavily on teams to see them through the momentous
debates. Frost and his producer, John Birt (Matthew Macfadyen),
join ranks with executive producer Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt)
and writer James Reston, Jr. (Sam Rockwell), both serving
as researchers. ***
Both men have reputations on the line, which is problematic
given Frost’s financial problems, the money for the interviews
coming out of his own pocket. It doesn’t help that Reston
is hell bent on cornering Nixon and making him look like
a fool. As Nixon approaches the interview site--a suburban
home--Reston glances out the window and sees him in person
for the first time: “He’s taller than I imagined,” he says
to Zelnick. “Tanned. The least he can do is look ravaged.”
***
Nixon’s team is led by Lieutenant Colonel Jack Brennan
(Kevin Bacon), who also distrusts the media. He sees Frost
not as an interviewer, but as a dangerous intruder who’s
intellectually beneath him. He goes through the entire film
fiercely protective of Nixon, going so far as to call Frost
and threaten to ruin him should he decide to ask questions
that shouldn’t be asked. ***
The interview scenes are works of art in and of themselves,
masterfully combining verbatim dialogue with strategic camerawork.
So much could have gone wrong, here; Howard could have filmed
bland debate scenes, with generic wide shots of two people
sitting across from each other. Thankfully, he uses clever
close-ups and the natural pacing of the interviews to build
tension. The first interview is rough on Frost, who barely
had time to pose questions between Nixon’s drawn-out musings.
And this is despite the inflammatory nature of the first
question, “Why didn’t you burn the tapes?” ***
But the suspense steadily grows, and it doesn’t pause
between interviews. Case in point: The climactic phone call
between Nixon and Frost the night before the final interview.
To describe the scene or quote lines of dialogue would do
you a great disservice; let’s just say that it’s the perfect
precursor to the next scene, when Frost takes off his journalistic
gloves and lets Nixon have it. ***
I find it amazing that thriller-like elements are utilized
so successfully in a film that’s essentially a character
study. Were it nothing more than a political commentary,
“Frost/Nixon” would be tragically uninspired, even with
the casting of wonderful actors like Langella and Sheen.
This movie consistently surprised me, first with its ability
to humanize the main characters, then with Morgan’s willingness
to blend history with drama, then with his thought-provoking
dialogue, then with Howard’s attention to the smallest details,
like hand gestures and the placement of each character in
a shot. ***
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