FROST/NIXON
RYAN: Originally, I wasn’t interested in seeing “Frost/Nixon” because I thought it would be very boring and I was not a fan of Richard Nixon.
CAROLINE: LOL… not that you or I remember that era very well. I was actually interested in this movie because I had recently seen my friend, Jenny, in the play at a theater in St. Louis; so I knew it was a very interesting story and I wanted to see how Ron Howard attacked the movie version.
RYAN: I am thrilled he directed it and he deserves much credit for how enjoyable this film turned out to be. He makes everything look really good. “A Beautiful Mind,” anyone?
CAROLINE: [laughs’ Plus the cast. It’s one of those movies where you’re like, “Oh. I didn’t know he’s in it. And him too?” So fun. Frank Langella plays Richard Nixon. He did the role on Broadway and won the Tony award for his performance.
RYAN: Let’s see if he gets the Oscar for it too.
CAROLINE: He’ll definitely get nominated. There were a few times when I wondered if he was just doing a Nixon impression; but then at other times you could see how deeply he was feeling in a scene.
RYAN: I loved Michael Sheen’s performance, too, as David Frost. I totally felt for him and the high stakes he had riding on this Nixon interview. It’s such a well-written film and Sheen often had moments without words where his face expressed so much of what he was feeling and thinking.
CAROLINE: I always enjoy Sam Rockwell, who was in it, along with Toby Jones, Oliver Platt and Rebecca Hall, who appeared earlier this year as Vicky in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” I liked hearing her British accent.
RYAN: This is such a big year for her. And can’t forget Kevin Bacon!
CAROLINE: Right! He had the tiniest role. What’s up with that?
RYAN: He’ll take any role he can just to try to recreate how he looked in “A Few Good Men.”
CAROLINE: Pretty much.
RYAN: I was most impressed with how suspenseful the film is. It moves like a thriller but without any scary elements. I was intrigued and engaged; not at all what I expected. I may have enjoyed it because I had such low expectations.
CAROLINE: See, I had just recently seen the the play, so I knew the story already and for me, it wasn’t super suspenseful. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. I know what you mean though because I felt the same way when I saw the play the first time. I was like, “Wow. Who knew this was such an interesting and compelling story?” We were too young to know of this in the ’70s.
RYAN: You can say that again.
CAROLINE: But it’s fascinating that this tabloid TV guy was able to land an interview with the only President in history who’d ever resigned. It’s also fun to see the relationship that they establish with each other that becomes personal.
RYAN: I also liked that it’s a good underdog story, which always inspires me.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: It’s a good film. I recommend it especially if you’re a history buff; but even if you’re not, the cast is so great and I loved the ’70s-ness of it and the hair and outfits. They really captured the era.
RYAN: It’s a fantastic screenplay that in the hands of another director might not have come across as polished as it did in the hands of Ron Howard. It’s so easy to watch. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ron gets an Oscar nom. It’s definitely not for a young audience because it’s a serious and mature film, but I also recommend.
— RATING —
