Magic Review: Frost/Nixon

Ron Howard's new drama Frost/Nixon which is a dramatic portrayal of the David Frost (Michael Sheen) interviews of infamous President Richard Nixon (Frank Langalla)  is pure cinematic brilliance. I had read all the hype before electing to see this movie although I was still unsure what to expect. The smartest thing the studio decided to do was put two "actors" not "movie stars" in the role of David Frost and Richard Nixon. If they had been stars the movie would have completely missed the mark. Only after watching this movie did I realise where the catchphrase "If the President does it, it is not illegal" came from. I like how this movie looks at the events surrounding the interview and how and why the deal was brokered. Nixon who was in fact payed a hefty sum for his appearance which initially came out of Frosts own pocket is portrayed as a fallen hero when the movie begins however when the curtains come up it is a different story. Sheen does a wonderful job as the ambitious British talk show host who was at the beginning so far out of his depth up against one of the worlds most powerful people that it seemed that he would be totally annihilated . The supporting cast of Kevin Bacon (Footloose) as Lt Jack Brennan, Nixons loyal voice of reason, Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) as Frost's bitter assistant James Reston and lastly Oliver Platt (The 3 Musketeers) as Frost helper Bob Zelnick give the film the credence to be regarded as a successful drama rather than what could have been a mediocre documentary. I walked out of this movie delighted especially with the acting by Frank Langella as Nixon and would urge all to see it for this example of exemplary acting.  Dr Hunter S Thompson once said that "Nixon was so crooked that he needed servants to help him screw his pants on every morning". This movie helps people of my generation who did not live through the Nixon Administration gain a small understanding of how "crooked" he really was. Get out there and see it.

Magic Rating: 8.8/10