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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Universal Studios
Salesrank: 3302
Released: April 21, 2009 |
| Our Price: $9.98 |
| Used Price: $3.10 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
From Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard comes the electrifying, untold story behind one of the most unforgettable moments in history. When disgraced President Richard Nixon agreed to an interview with jet-setting television personality, David Frost, he thought he’d found the key to saving his tarnished legacy. But, with a name to make and a reputation to overcome, Frost became one of Nixon’s most formidable adversaries and engaged the leader in a charged battle of wits that changed the face of politics forever. Featuring brilliant portrayals by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon is the fascinating and suspenseful story of truth, accountability, secrets and lies.
Description of Frost/Nixon:
Sounds like a good match: a historical drama from the author of The Queen, but with an American subject in the generational wheelhouse of director Ron Howard. And so Peter Morgan's Tony-winning play morphs into a Hollywood movie under the wing of the Apollo 13 guy. Morgan's subject is a curious moment of post-Watergate shakeout: British TV host David Frost's long-form interviews with ex-President Richard Nixon, conducted in 1977. It was a big ratings success at the time, justifying the somewhat controversial decision to cut an enormous check for Nixon's services. The movie adds a mockumentary note to the otherwise straightforward style, having direct-to-camera addresses from various aides to Frost and Nixon (played by the likes of Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, and Kevin Bacon); these basically tell us things we already glean from the rest of the movie, adding unnecessary melodrama and upping the stakes. In this curious scheme, the success of Frost's career, which could bellyflop if he doesn't get something worthwhile out of the cagey, long-winded Nixon, is given somewhat more weight than the actual revelations of the interviews. Even with these questionable storytelling decisions, there's still the spectacle of two actors going at it hammer and tongs, and on that level the movie offers some heat. Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair not only in The Queen but also in another Morgan-scripted project, The Deal, is adept at catching David Frost's blow-dried charm, as well as the determination beneath it. Frank Langella's physical performance as Nixon is superb, and he certainly can be a commanding actor, though veteran Nixon-watchers might find that he misses a certain depth of self-pity in the man. Both actors were retained from the original stage production, a rare thing in Hollywood--and probably Howard's best decision of the project. --Robert Horton
Frost/Nixon Reviews:
deserving of all the attention 
2009-11-08 - For those that were around in the early 70's, Frost/Nixon does a GREAT job detailing the events of the Nixon administration and the Watergate scandal (the latter which receives the most attention in the story-telling).
For those of you that WEREN'T around back then (like myself) you will learn a LOT about the Nixon scandal.
The flow of the story-telling can best be described like this- the first half of the movie deals with a British guy named David Frost, detailing how Frost went about getting the opportunity to interview Richard Nixon and ask the most serious questions of all during a face-to-face, sit-down interview.
The questions most Americans wanted answers to at the time is displayed accurately in the movie by Frost's character. He held absolutely *nothing* back during the interview, making Nixon extremely uncomfortable, and that's why we remember David Frost today.
The second half of the film deals with, of course, the lengthy interview segments themselves, but these interviews are NOT done in a boring way. Far from it in fact.
It's the EMOTION during these sit down interviews that truly makes the film remarkable (and deserving of all those awards it won last year). The way you, the viewer, becomes attached to every word coming out of Frost and Nixon's mouth EVEN if you don't consider yourself someone who has a serious interest in politics, is what makes the film so good.
As much attention David Frost receives is perhaps even more than the amount Nixon receives. I'm surprised the movie writers chose to focus so much on David Frost and less on Nixon.
Everything you wanted to know about the Watergate scandal is presented here, and done correctly and accurately. Not much discussion over Vietnam however, but enough to satisfy me.
Anyway, the actor who plays Nixon looks JUST like him, and acts like him as well (and GREAT job imitating Nixon's voice!) Great performances by all the characters. You don't necessarily have to follow politics hard and heavy in order to follow along to Frost/Nixon, and because of that, I recommend everyone watch it. Without giving anything away, you will see a shocking side of Richard Nixon during a few segments.
The Infamous Nixion Interview That Shocked The World. 
2009-10-29 - Politically intriguing as the film and its actors really have captured the mood of the 70's after the Watergate incident. The film pretty much portrays very closely (if not exactly) to the original Frost/Nixon tapes although in the film, it does not go into vivid detail on every topic that was originally discussed in the real interview but that is hardly a flaw for a great film. The casts of the film did brilliantly portraying figures of the past, most notably Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as Frost. Despite the lack of action sequences, this film surprisingly managed to have kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole screening as the suspense between Nixon and the outside world was somewhat very sad. Overall, I've enjoyed this film and would recommend it to those who share the same political fascination with Nixon and/or Watergate such as I.
Frost/Nixon (2008)-Good Performance by Frank Langella
2009-10-25 - Frost/Nixon (2008) This was another good film by Ron Howard in which Frank Langella gave one of his finer performances. The actual videos of the Nixon interview exhibited during the documentary show that Nixon was far more in control of his emotions than indicated by Langella. However, Langella still delivered a fine, if not slightly over the top, performance. I wonder if the reviews of this very good film went down party lines?
Two men, willing to risk everything, in a riviting competition of wills
2009-10-06 - This historic drama based on the famous interviews by David Frost and former President Nixon is excellent in every way. The acting is superb with Frank Langella performing the part of a lifetime. The film dramatizes the 1977 interviews with most of the film devoted to the behind the scenes strategizing for advantage. Exceptional actors, intelligent script, suspenseful and beautifully edited direction all go to make a fine film. However, this film moves beyond that for it moves into a psychological analysis of Nixon in the first years of his disgrace and reveals that he was aware of his misdeeds and that he must take responsibility for his actions and the political philosophy that he nourished within his heart throughout his political career and which tainted the White House staff and their approach to governance.
Richard Nixon was the only president to resign while in office rather than face a certain impeachment by the House of Representatives. He was soon pardoned by President Jerald Ford and moved into retirement at this compound in San Clemente California. Thus, a popular television talk show host, David Frost, was not seen as a threat and Nixon was willing to participate in the interviews because he thought he could out maneuver the playboy television personality and he also was paid $500,000 for the 4 interviews (2 hours each). Michael Sheen plays David Frost and he captures the complexity of Frost's personality and ambitions and eventual insight into Richard Nixon that lead to the outstanding admission by Nixon that he had conducted activities that were probably criminal and that he had let the people of the United States down in his conduct as President.
Frost believed that the words of admission and sorrow from the President would be a healing message and that it was possible to bring the President to this admission. But President Nixon was a brilliant strategist with the ability to turn any question into an opportunity to appear wise, Presidential, strategic, victimized, intelligent, insightful, considerate, and kind. He was a master at turning a negative question into a 15 minute response that showed him in his best light. The film is excellent at capturing the tension and suspense as each interview is totally dominated by President Nixon and David Frost is continually left licking his wounds, never penetrating beyond the facade presented by President Nixon.
The film is also about Frost's desire to recharge his career after having his talk show dropped by a major network but he soon finds that he personally must finance much of the production costs of the interviews. The contract between Frost and Nixon stipulated that Nixon would not be given the questions in advance and would have no editing authority. But Nixon was an absolute master in the art of staying on message, turning any hostile question into an opportunity to look Presidential. He may have accepted the conditions because he knows Frost to be a woman chasing playboy celebrity and not know as a political journalist. This would allow Nixon to shape history to his own liking. Yet, the underlying issue for Frost was healing and not blame, and this may have been his greatest strength in dealing with the President and in the end it is this theme that touches Nixon's core and in so doing, reveals something about the President that is grand.
Ron Howard was brilliant to emphasize this theme. For if Frost had interviewed Nixon with the outrageous bully strategies that is so often seen on television today, Nixon would have been an able fighter and the American public would have gone away thinking that the battle was a draw and that this was politics as usual. It was the strategy of seeking admission of misdeeds and then moving the President to state that he had let himself, the office of the Presidency, and the American people down that changed the equation. It is to the President's credit that he becomes a willing participant in this strategy for it took incredible strength of character to abandon every self protective instinct and to rise to a healing apology that was so needed by the nation.
The film is excellent, for it reveals that underneath political battles and strategies lies vulnerability and that fear of revealing that vulnerability can lead to great misjudgments but that moving beyond and through the vulnerability is healing. There may be those who think I overly praise Richard Nixon, but I don't. I only say that the man was capable of growth and insight even in his dark defeat and his instinctual connection with the American people guided his voluntary decision to admit he had let himself and the American people down.
"Spellbinding"
2009-10-05 - I have always loved American politics as far back as 1973. I remember that summer vividly because that was the year that my favorite soap opera, "Another World", was being pre-empted two or three times a week in order to allow NBC the ability to cover the Watergate hearings. As I grew older I became captivated by the Watergate scandal and with Richard Nixon's resignation as President of the United Sates. "Frost/Nixon" dramatizes Nixon's attempt to salvage his public image after his fall from public office by appearing in a series of syndicated TV interviews with David Frost, a washed-up interviewer whose success on American television eluded him. The film also details Frost's attempt to make a name for himself as a celebrated journalist by interviewing the most disgraced President in American history. When one watches "Frost/Nixon" the battle between Nixon and Frost during the interviews is evident as they try to outwit the other with only one man coming out on top. The performances, especially by Frank Langella, are superb. He actually gives an even greater performance than Anthony Hopkins who played Nixon in an autobiography back in the late '90's. The direction by Ron Howard is cunning and stylish and most critics agree this is his best work. The two hours flew by as I watched this filmed as the movie is fast-paced and involving. Among the many bonus features are commentary by Ron Howard, a featurette called "The Making of "Frost/Nixon", "The Real Interview" compares the actual real interview to the reenacted one, and there is much more. "Frost/Nixon" was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Beat Picture and Best Actor for Langella.
