Frank Langella As Richard Nixon (Frost/Nixon, 2008)
Yes, the film is largely set after the resignation of Richard Nixon, but the beginning offers a minor refresher on the detail of the Watergate scandal which erupted during his presidency in 1972. We then see the Commander-In-Chief leaving the White House for the final time in 1974, before launching into his infamous set of post-Presidency interviews, conducted by British television presenter, David Frost – played by Michael Sheen.
The film is based upon the play of the same name by Peter Morgan, and the writer adapts his own work for the screen. It’s directed by Ron Howard and the two principal actors here are reprising the roles they played in the stage production.
David Frost secured private funding in order to conduct the interviews and, in the film, they result in the former President eventually conceding that he engaged in unethical activities. While the historical accuracy of the film and its source material has been widely questioned, the Oscar nominated performance of Frank Langella as the disgraced former world leader is remarkable.
The actor allows Nixon to manifest before our eyes. Without performing a caricature or engaging in mimicry, he instead imbues both the frame and the role with the unsettling presence of a privately defeated, but publicly defiant Richard Nixon.
