It's the 1970s. In the recent past, North American politician Richard Nixon (1913-1994) (Frank Langella) arranged for a flat to be burgled in the Watergate Building at 2,600 Virginia Avenue, Washington, USA. The flat was being used by the American Democratic party to plan their election campaign. Mr Nixon was the candidate for the opposing Republican party. He won the election and became the American president. He was accused of organising and concealing his involvement in the burglary and resigned. These events are shown in summary at the start of the film in documentary format, with the real-life people mainly played by actors.

David Frost (b 1939) (Michael Sheen) was becoming established in his native Britain, and in Australia and America, as a tv personality - chat shows, interviews, comedy - and film producer. A Cambridge University graduate with a formidable intellect, he was nevertheless seen as lightweight and smooth rather than as a serious journalist. At the start of the film he is in Sydney, Australia hosting a light-entertainment tv show - Frost Over Australia. He watches Mr Nixon's resignation on TV and finds out the the audience is 400 million. Back in London he tells his producer at London Weekend Television, John Birt (b 1944) (Matthew Macfadyen), that he wants to interview Nixon. Birt is amused - he also sees Frost as lightweight, and Frost had interviewed (UK male singing trio) The Bee Gees the previous night. But Frost persists, and negotiates a price of 600,000 US dollars with Nixon's literary agent Swifty Lazar (Toby Jones).

On the plane to America, Frost meets pretty Caroline Cushing (Rebecca Hall), and starts a relationship with her. She, Frost and Birt go to meet Nixon at his California home by the sea. Nixon's devoted assistant Jack Brennan (Kevin Bacon) watches proceedings. An agreement is drawn up for 4 days of filming, with the last day devoted to Watergate. Frost recruits two journalists opposed to Nixon to join Birt as his research and production team: Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt) and James Reston Jr (Sam Rockwell). Birt is producer, Zelnick editor, and Reston chief researcher. Reston has a considerable and bitter animus against Nixon, and is determined to put him on trial in the programme.

Frost/Nixon is based on a play by Peter Morgan which was first performed at London's Donmar Warehouse (2006, director Michael Grandage). Those who may have found the play heavy going may find the film better. Peter Morgan also wrote the screenplay, but the film carries the light touch, exhuberance and feel for a good story of its mainstream populist director Ron Howard. Mr Nixon's dull enforced retirement and longing for excitement is powerfully evoked, as he and Brennan trudge round speaking engagements - a convention of dentists is shown. Frost's longing for massive popularity and for the coup of interviewing a man of Nixon's status is established quickly and cleverly. The image of a boxing match is enforced by the language the characters use, and by the scenes - there's a break in filming as coaches Birt (Frost) and Brennan (Nixon) flutter round their charges, coaxing and spurring. The first three days of filming go mainly in favour of Nixon. The US networks have refused to buy the project, so Frost is funding it himself, with 30% sold to advertisers such as garden-seed suppliers.

Will Frost be able to get Nixon to confess to having been badly behaved? As the interviews actually took place and were broadcast in 1977, it's known that he did (sort of) and that Nixon was emotional. In a way that's not what the film is about. It is loosely based on fact, but it's fiction, and is perhaps more the story of two fighters, one old, one young in a battle which apparently only one can win. This was not quite true in reality. The interviews established the real-life David Frost as the serious journalist (with a seemingly light inflection) that he continues to be.

But they didn't particularly destroy Richard Nixon. He lived another 17 years, published his autobiography and enjoyed some rehabilitation politically with visits to China. He had been one of the few American politicians to understand foreign policy - a point brought out in the film - reaching out as president to Russia and China, and achieving a ceasefire with North Vietnam. His resignation and the events involved in it, while a local scandal in America, seem small compared with what America has done since. The sucking of President Clinton's penis in the White House (American President's HQ), presidential impeachment (President Clinton), the terror-bombing of Baghdad when accused of rape (President Clinton), the terror-bombing of Serbia (Nato, President Clinton), the war against Iraq (President GW Bush), murder of President Saddam Hussein (Iraq puppet government, President GW Bush), illegal imprisonment & show trials at Guantanamo Bay (President GW Bush), torture and humiliation of Arab prisoners in Iraq (Abu Ghraib and other prisons) (President GW Bush) have damaged America. Perhaps more relevant to the film, the moral horror of some of these (and other) events have perhaps reduced - at least to the rest of the world - President Nixon's actions, in comparison, to petty offences: slap-on-the-wrist stuff.

There's a superb performance from Kevin Bacon as Nixon's devoted - with in this delivery, homo-erotic overtones - assistant, Jack Brennan. His Brennan glows with dog-like loyalty - from the moment he's first seen in the film at Nixon's resignation speech to the film's climax. It's a trait it would be easy to overplay, but Kevin Bacon contains it, allowing an enormous emotional power to come through, resulting in one of the most believable-as-real-people characters in the film, and perhaps the film's best performance. Matthew Macfadyen is sublime as John Birt. It's a difficult part to play because the real-life Birt - Baron Birt, Director-General of the BBC 1992-2000 - subsequently became such a well-known (in Britain) figure in British broadcasting and UK Labour Government politics. The Dalek of Downing Street has been one of his nicknames, and Matthew Macfadyen deftly catches Baron Birt's reputed strangeness. Toby Jones does a delightful cameo as legendary literary agent Irving 'Swifty' Lazar, wiping his hands carefully after social contact with people, and phoning Frost in the middle of the night to see if he answers (and is therefore in need of the deal). Rebecca Hall delivers Caroline Cushing as part femme-fatale, part gentle charmer - who catches Nixon's eye as well as Frost's - in a subtle and elegant performance.

There are a few intriguing strands running through the action. One is Italian lace-less shoes. Frost wears them; Nixon wears lace-ups but envies the non-laced; Brennan regards non-laced shoes as effeminate. It's a gentle and rather sweet sub-plot with a final resolution at the film's end. And there's a poignant reference to a small dog. In Nixon's earlier career, he salvaged his political life by appearing on screen with a puppy he'd been given. In the present story the incident is gently - wistfully - reprised.

The film has superb sound. It's partly from the action - with skilful boom operation by Tim Song Jones and Michael Piotrowski: not easy to do on a set showing a film set with lots of messy non-real equipment to navigate around - and partly from some excellent music. The original music score is by Hans Zimmer, with additional music by Ryeland Allison and Lorne Balfe. Cinematographer is Salvatore Totino, who catches with equal artistry the tense interior scenes and contrasting exteriors lit by brilliant Californian sunshine. The drama of the script and its opposing camps is emphasised by sensitive, spot-on film editing - by Daniel P Hanley and Mike Hill. Authenticity is provided by filming at real locations associated with the action - the Nixon Compound at San Clemente, California, and the Nixon Library at Yorba Linda, California.

Michael Sheen is deft, oily, astute and impish as David Frost. He doesn't look like David Frost, but he does look like Terry Wogan. Terry Wogan (b 1938) is the same age as Frost, and a long-established radio UK/Ireland DJ, TV personality and host. He's strongly identified with light entertainment - hosting eg the Eurovision Song Contest. Terry Wogan interviewing Richard Nixon could have been a glorious film, but this one isn't bad. Frank Langella is intriguing as Richard Nixon. He doesn't look like Richard Nixon - which is initially distracting - and his makeup and wig look a bit artificial. He's probably getting Nixon's voice right, but it sounds like acting most of the way through the film. Oddly, neither of these mismatches detract enormously from the result. It is a powerful film, perhaps more from the strength of its direction than from the script. It feels exciting, with a pounding pace. There's a strong performance from Sam Rockwell as the embittered journalist James Reston Jr, portraying him as a man consumed with poisonous internal rage - the kind of bloke to avoid sitting next to on a bus.

CAST: (alpha order): Janneke Arent - Sandra. Kevin Bacon - Jack Brennan. Mickie Banyas - Fina Sanchez. Jay Bird - Protester. Gene Boyer - Himself. Denise Bradley - Jogger. Michael Patrick Breen - Houston Ballroom Diner. Scott Bryson - John Bryson. Carl Burhanan - Himself. Shawn Card - Smith House Photographer. Paul Caroul - Edward Cox. Kaine Bennett Charleston - Sydney TV Director. Jason Ciok - Brian. Alexandria Cree - Julie Nixon. Eve Curtis - Sue Mengers. Joe Fedio - Secret Service Agent. Jenn Gotzon - Tricia Nixon. Geoffrey Gould - Burt's TV programme producer. Kate Jennings Grant - Diane Sawyer. Rebecca Hall - Caroline Cushing. Christopher Haskell - Houston Ballroom Diner. Jimmy Heck - Bouncer. Clint Howard . Kristina Hughes - White House Aide. Gabriel Jarret - Ken Khachigian. Toby Jones - Swifty Lazar. Kimberley Joseph - Evonne Goolagong. Kevin P. Kearns - Fan. David Kelsey - Reporter. Ken-Ali - African traveler. John Kerry - Disco man. Simone Kessell - Janet. Tammy Klein - Tammy. Frank Langella - Richard Nixon. Ariel Lazarus - Playboy Bunny. Lisa Lee - Red Carpet Starlette. Paula Lemes - Disco Girl. Matthew Macfadyen - John Burt. Keith MacKechnie - Marvin Minoff. Michelle Manhart - Disco Girl. Patty McCormack - Pat Nixon. Louie Mejia - Interview Cameraman 2. Jim Meskimen - Raymond Price. Andy Milder - Frank Gannon. Albert Miranda - Airport Traveller. Gene Mitchell - Secret Service Agent. Eddie Napolillo - Smith Crew. Muna Otaru . David Ross Paterson - British TV Show Presenter. Robert Phares - White House Aide. Oliver Platt - Bob Zelnick. Patricia Prata - Ballroom Guest. Yvette Rachelle - Playboy Bunny. Kimberly Robin - Ma Masion Girl. Pete Rockwell - Reporter #3. Sam Rockwell - James Reston Jr.. Olga Rosin - Waitress. Michael Sheen - David Frost. Evan Silverman - Smith Crew. Mark Simich - Hugh Hefner. Max Elliott Slade - Smith Crew. Cecelia Specht - Australian TV Show Script Supervisor. Chris Spicer - Houston Ballroom Diner. Brett Stoepler - Michael York. Mark Strohman - Business Man Heathrow. Jason Suhrke - Press Reporter (voice). Ned Vaughn. Holly Weber - Playboy Playmate. Hayden Wyatt - Playboy Bunny. Uncredited cast: William M. Connor - Premiere Reporter #2 (uncredited). JD Ironfield - Harbor Boy (uncredited). Christopher Jude - Press Reporter (uncredited). Adam Karst - Diplomat (uncredited). Les Mahoney - On-air TV Reporter (uncredited). John Robert - Heathrow Business man (uncredited). Credits source: www.imdb.com (www.imdb.com/title/tt0870111/) at 21 October 08.

COMPANY: Ron Howard - Director. Peter Morgan - Screenplay. Peter Morgan - Writer Of Play. Tim Bevan - Producer. William M Connor - Associate Producer. Eric Fellner - Producer. Brian Grazer - Producer. Todd Hallowell - Executive Producer. Ron Howard - Producer. Kathleen Mcgill - Associate Producer. Peter Morgan - Executive Producer. Louisa Velis - Associate Producer. Hans Zimmer - Original Music. Salvatore Totino - Cinematographer. Daniel P Hanley, Mike Hill - Film Editors. Janet Hirshenson, Jane Jenkins - Casting. Michael Corenblith - Production Designer. Brian O'Hara, Gregory Van Horn - Art Directors. Susan Benjamin - Set Decorator. Daniel Orlandi - Costume Designer. Colleen Callaghan - Personal Hair/Wig Stylist: Franklin Langella. Edouard F Henriques - Makeup Department Head. Elizabeth Hoel - Makeup Artist. Karyn Huston - Hair Stylist. Justin Stafford - Wig Maker: Frank Langella. Kathleen Mcgill - Unit Production Manager. William M Connor - First Assistant Director. Todd Hallowell - Second Unit Director. Kristen Ploucha - Second Assistant Director. Scott Schaeffer - First Assistant Director: Second Unit. Jory Alvarado - Drapery Foreman. Jaime Beebe - Buyer. Lawson Brown - Set Dresser. Lorrie Campbell - Set Designer. Martin Charles - Graphic Designer. Juliane Crump - Senior Art Researcher. Colin Dennis - Construction Foreman. Josh Ian Elliott - Set Dresser. Joseph Fedo - Set Dresser. Chad S Frey - Set Designer. Michael E Goldman - Assistant Art Director. Jon Kazunaga - Construction Foreman. Rebecca Keeling - Buyer. Stephen Mccumby - Set Dresser. Jessica Mcdonald - Set Dresser. Candice Muriedas - Art Department Coordinator. Jaudi Negri - Set Dresser. Greg O'Donohue - Gang Boss. Portia Perry - Painter. Joel Prihoda - Leadman. Jonathan S Rudnick - Set Dresser. Terry Scott - Construction Coordinator. Anthony Syracuse - Construction Foreman. Phillip Thoman - On-Set Dresser. Naomi Treuherz - Supervising Signwriter. Ciro Vuoso - General Foreman. Jennifer Durban - Art Assistant (Uncredited). Holiday Landa - Set Coordinator (Uncredited). Michael J Broomberg - Foley Artist. Eddie Bydalek - Digital Sound Mix Technician. Anthony J Ciccolini III - Supervising Sound Editor. Peter J Devlin - Sound Mixer. George Flores - Sound Mixer: Second Unit. Gary A Hecker - Supervising Foley Artist. Chris Jenkins - Sound Re-Recording Mixer. Tim Song Jones - Boom Operator. Tim Song Jones - Sound: Second Unit. Frank A Montaño - Sound Re-Recording Mixer. Daniel Pagan - Sound Effects Editor. Michael Piotrowski - Boom Operator. David Raymond - Sound Utility. Philip Rogers - Adr Recordist. Lynn Sable - Assistant Sound Editor. Solange S Schwalbe - Supervising Foley Editor. Chad Baalbergen - Special Effects. Jeff Miller - Special Effects Supervisor. Daniel Abramovich - Digital Compositor. Glenn Allen - Visual Effects Producer: Brainstorm Digital. Patrick Clancey - Digital Opticals. Michael Dillon - Digital Intermediate Assistant Producer. Aleksandar Djordjevic - Digital Compositor. Richard Friedlander - Visual Effects Producer: Brainstorm Digital. Brett Miller - CG Supervisor. Scott Minter - Compositor. Eric J Robertson - Visual Effects Supervisor. James William Visconti III - Media Assistant. Chris 'Pinkus' Wesselman - Digital Compositor. Anton Yri - Digital Compositor. Jun Zhang - Digital Compositor. Rick Avery - Stunt Coordinator. Michael Hugghins - Stunt Rigger. Dominic Aluisi - First Assistant Camera: A Camera. John Barr - Director Of Photography: Second Unit. Ben Betts - Video Engineer. Tony Bryan - Gaffer. Ralph Del Castillo - Dolly Grip. Kevin Fahey - Rigging Grip Best Boy. Greg Fausak - Grip. Clayton Fowler - Rigging Grip. John-Anthony Gargiulo - Grip. Dennis Geraghty - Camera Production Assistant. Peter Geraghty - First Assistant Camera. Charley Gilleran - Rigging Key Grip. Grant Goza - Additional Grip. Casey Green - Video Playback Operator. Rory Hinds - Operator: Red Camera. Alex Klabukov - Key Grip. Benn Martenson - Second Assistant Camera: A Camera. Ralph Nelson - Still Photographer. Dustin Penrod - Rigging Electrician. Daniel R Purinton - Rigging Gaffer. Andrew Rowlands - Camera Operator. Mark Santoni - First Assistant Camera: B Camera. Bryce Shields - Additional Video Assist. Joshua Stern - Lighting Technician. Larissa Supplitt - Second Assistant Camera: B Camera. Peter Villani - Rigging Electrician. Jamie Castro - Casting Assistant. Terry L Lamfers - Casting Executive. Laurel Frushour - Set Costumer. Monica Haynes-Nino - Costumer. Nino - Costumer. Gary Burritt - Negative Cutter. Jacquelyn Dean - Assistant Editor. Carolyn Horton - Assistant Editor. Robert Komatsu - Film Editor. Ryeland Allison - Composer: Additional Music. Lorne Balfe - Composer: Additional Music. Steven Kofsky - Music Production Services. Katia Lewin Palomo - Score Mixing Assistant. Alan Meyerson - Music Scoring Mixer. Daniel Pinder - Music Editor. Peter Oso Snell - Technical Music Coordinator. Mel Wesson - Ambient Music Designer. Ryan Allen - Dot Supervisor. Frank Annunziata - Transportation Dispatcher. Rick Collins - Picture Car Coordinator. Royale Edward - Driver. John Feinblatt - Transportation Captain. Jay Fulton - Driver. Ted Joneson - Driver. Dennis Mccarthy - Transportation Coordinator. Kevin Warendorp - Driver. Christopher Weippert - Driver. Gary 'Little G' Williams - Driver: Mr Howard. Gregory Alpert - Location Manager. Jorge Luis Alvarez - Assistant Location Manager. Laura Bagano - Key Craft Service. Michelle Brattson - Production Coordinator. Clinton Wade Childress - Production Assistant. Florence Chung - Extras Coordinator. Jim Demarco - First Assistant Accountant. Dominique Derrenger - Construction Accountant. Mandi Dillin - Key Assistant Location Manager. Chloe Dorigan - Assistant: Tim Bevan. Missy Eustermann - Post-Production Accountant. Sherry Gallarneau - Script Supervisor. Katy Genovese - Payroll Accountant. Matt Haggerty - Set Production Assistant. Rob Harris - Unit Publicist. Justin Haut - Assistant Production Coordinator. Samantha C Kirkeby - Script Supervisor: Second Unit. Alex Kivlen - Key Assistant Location Manager. Cary Sato Lee - Craft Service. Ben Marks - Key Office Production Assistant. Jonathan Mason - Assistant: Frank Langella. Gregory Metcalf-Hall - Second Assistant Accountant. Matthew Morrissey - Computer/Video Playback Supervisor. Laura O'Keefe - Set Production Assistant. Lily Pahlow - Additional Set Production Assistant. Patrick Tendai Pfupajena - Assistant: Brian Grazer. Paris P Pickard - Production Assistant. Charlotte Rapak - Production Secretary. Jackson Rowe - Set Production Assistant. Jeremy Scripter - Production Assistant. Grant Singer - Assistant: David Bernardi. Talley Singer - Assistant: Todd Hallowell. Jason Suhrke - Set Production Assistant. Girard Swan - Stand-In: Kevin Bacon. Felipe Torres Urso - Assistant: Ron Howard. Chris 'Pinkus' Wesselman - Title Designer. Andrew Zack - Production Coordinator: Mr Zimmer. Production Companies - Imagine Entertainment, Relativity Media, Studio Canal, Working Title Films. Distributors - Universal Studios, Worldwide, All Media; Universal Pictures, USA, Theatrical; Finnkino, Finland, All Media; Universal Pictures International, UPI, Netherlands, Theatrical. AFX Studios, Brainstorm Digital - Special Effects. The Senate Visual Effects - Additional Visual Effects. Brainstorm Digital - Title Design. Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment - Camera Dollies. Filmtools - Expendables. Movie Movers - Cast Trailers. Movie Movers - Hair And Make-Up Trailers. Movie Movers - Production Trailers. Movie Movers - Star Trailers. On Tour Productions - Transportation Services. Pivotal Post - Avid Editing System Provider. Runtime - 122 minutes. Country – USA, UK, France. Language - English. Sound Mix – DTS, SDDS, Dolby Digital. Locations - Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Arclight/Cinerama Dome); Huntington Beach, California, USA, San Clemente, California, USA (Nixon Compound); Yorba Linda, California, USA, (Nixon Library). Release Dates - UK 15 October 2008 (London Film Festival); USA 5 December 2008 (limited); Australia 26 December 2008; Spain 9 January 2009; UK 9 January 2009. Credits source: www.imdb.com (www.imdb.com/title/tt0870111/) at 21 October 08.

END

John Park

reviewed Wednesday 15 October 08 / press screening / Odeon Leicester Square, London

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com