Frost/Nixon (Cert 15) Cinema Review (From Knutsford Guardian)

Frost/Nixon (Cert 15) Cinema Review

5:04pm Monday 26th January 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

ON August 9, 1964, Richard Milhous Nixon became the first and only President of the United States to resign from office.

Disgraced and dubbed a crook, the Republican politician left his post as leader of the free world for his role in the break-in of the Democratic party headquarters.

"Put simply, it is the milestone collision of politics and television."

David Morgan

Nixon went into ‘exile’ in his Californian villa but, after being pardoned by his successor, President Ford, justice was never served and the people felt cheated.

Frost/Nixon transports you to that era with a wave of authenticity and reassuringly bad 70s hairdos.

Produced by Peter Morgan, who developed the play the film is based on, the movie grips you from start to finish to such an extent that you feel you are on a quest for truth and justice yourself.

It is the true story of the unlikely interviews that renowned British talk show host David Frost (Michael Sheen) secured with Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) three years after his resignation.

But why does this warrant a feature length film?

Put simply, it is the milestone collision of politics and television.

A classic David and Goliath tale, Frost (at that point in his career a talk show playboy with no experience of politics) gives Nixon the trial he never had.

The war of words is electric as the journalist finally makes the former leader admit that he abused his power.

Nixon’s fall is arguably the moment when we started to distrust our modern leaders.

With the Bush reign just days away from ending to a potentially brighter dawn with Barack Obama, this film is a timely reminder to keep fighting for what’s right.

8/10 Essential viewing

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)