Frost/Nixon

Every year, I make (in vain) the same vow: that I will see all of the Best Picture Oscar nominees before the ceremony, so I have at least some clue as to what's going on. That hardly ever happens though, due to a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's a schedule thing, but most of the time, it's because I have no interest in any of the nominated films. Too smart for me, maybe or too epic or too something. I had no interest in The Departed, for instance, No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood, or even Syriana. I have to be in a certain mood for heavy films, or Cohen brothers films, for that matter, and sometimes, I just can't get there. And then I wonder if it is worth it spending my hard earned money on something that I don't know if I will like. And, also, sometimes these best picture nominess are so bizzarely obscure, it's like huh? Who the hell is watching this? What the hell were they thinking when they nominated this??

Anyway. This year is a little different because, for once, I have no serious issues about seeing any of the nominated films. I would happily sit through each and every one of them and so I have, once again, made the vow that it will happen before the ceremony.

I attended my first of the nominated films this afternoon, Frost/Nixon. I have been wanting to see it since it came out, but as with so many other things, it did not happen until today. It's only in about 2 theaters that are close by, so I figured I had to see it before it went away completely. It fascinated me - not just because of its two stars that also starred in the Broadway show of the same name, but because I had no idea that this interview had ever taken place. Weird, no? It's true - I love history and even majored in it. But none of my classes had ever ever gotten to history past WW2. Seriously. There is a lot of effort spent in schools over the constitution (understandably) and the early years of the nation etc., the Civil War, all of that, but I've never gotten to Vietnam in a class. Or heck, even the Korean War. So, while I had learned OF Nixon, and probably had to memorize one or two interesting facts about his administration back in 8th grade when Mr. Daiberl taught us about the Presidents (some of these come in handy, the other day, a Jeopardy question focused on who was President during the Tea Pot Dome Scandal. Hello? It was Warren G. Harding, duh. I have no clue what else he did, but that, I knew.)

So. I knew of Nixon, and that he'd resigned, and that it was him and his lying and his cover ups that soured politics and the presidency for my mom forever, but I knew nothing about David Frost and his interview, giving the 37th President "the trial he never had." Who was this funny little man, with his penchant for colorful socks, and what made him think that he would be able to get the answers out of the former President, whose nickname, after all, was "Tricky Dick"?

The film goes back, sets up the context for those of us in the audience (me) who had not actually been alive during Nixon's administration, introduces Frost (played by Michael Sheen), a talk show host, with a failed show in the US, who has this crazy idea to interview Richard Nixon (apparently for the ratings it would bring and the credibility it would lend to his reputation), and then brings us into the world of Nixon (a jowly Frank Langella, who I am assured portrays a very accurate Nixon). He is living in California and is resisting the trappings of retirement. He takes the interview with Frost because he figures it will be a way to get himself back into public life, and that Frost will most likely be a soft and sympathetic interviewer. He is well prepared, in the initial sessions, and Frost is not. But the final session is what everyone's been waiting for, when Frost gets Nixon to admit to wrong doing in office and even letting the American people down.

It's fascinating, even more so because it's true. I'm glad I caught it - and I admit that I was inspired this morning after seeing an interview with Frank Langella on the CBS morning show. He is riveting as Nixon.