Drinking in Leeds

Frost/Nixon

Making the transition from stage to big screen is never a seamless task, but Peter Morgan's adaptation of his own stage play certainly doesn't feel out of place. The film adds intensity to the drama in a way that – purely because of the different media – couldn't possibly be achieved on stage.

The story of Frost/Nixon is well documented: Richard Nixon (Frank Langella), the only US President to resign from office, agrees – for a hefty sum – to an interview with young British journalist David Frost (Michael Sheen).

The focal point of the film is obviously the interviews themselves, but director Ron Howard pays close attention to surrounding events – among them the persuading of Tricky Dicky to be interviewed, various off-camera encounters, and a (fictional) drunken phone call between the two.

A subject such as this requires two strong leads, and Sheen and - particularly – Langella do not disappoint.

The American's performance perfectly balances the character's shiftiness and self-pity, while Sheen portrays Frost's desire for recognition with laudable, often understated ease. The similarities to the Brit's last major role – that of Tony Blair in The Queen – are evident and relevant.

The use of a slash in the film's title removes any character hierarchy – no one is standalone hero here – and the rest of the cast (which includes Kevin Bacon and Sam Rockwell) obediently refuses to steal any scenes.

Frost/Nixon is not quite as powerful and hard-hitting as it wants to be, but it still makes for very entertaining fare. Political thrillers are currently in vogue – Milk has received similar acclaim – and this film will remind you just how exciting the subject can be.

122 mins
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon

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