German Danish subtitles and fuzzy video on the first international trailer for Frost/Nixon, but somehow none of that detracts from the vintage documentary aura.
[Update: Sorry, looks like Universal has killed the trailer link. And Jennybee found another source. The Frank Langella interview snippet below is equally interesting.]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ9Fy4D7wWY[/youtube]
RRA, I think Opie will pull it off as far as the Academy is concerned if not the best critics.
RRA, I think Opie will pull it off as far as the Academy is concerned if not the best critics.
Rob, that’s a silly argument.
Anthony Hopkins looked NOTHING like Nixon in Oliver Stone’s NIXON, and guess what?
He fucking was mother fuckin Tricky Dick Nixon, and deserved that Oscar nod.
And guess what? Langella is a good actor.
If anything, I just have doubts about Opie. Can the director behind the infamous money-maker GRINCH pull off such a story without his usual lack of shenanigans when he’s trying to aim higher than his average median of talent?
Rob, that’s a silly argument.
Anthony Hopkins looked NOTHING like Nixon in Oliver Stone’s NIXON, and guess what?
He fucking was mother fuckin Tricky Dick Nixon, and deserved that Oscar nod.
And guess what? Langella is a good actor.
If anything, I just have doubts about Opie. Can the director behind the infamous money-maker GRINCH pull off such a story without his usual lack of shenanigans when he’s trying to aim higher than his average median of talent?
. . .Reese Witherspoon as June
Never have I, and never will I, understand what made Witherspoon’s performance in WtL so great. I’ve tried, and I really just don’t get it at all.
Also, to keep alive some love for Apollo 13 (I maintain that RH’s snub that year for Director was egregious, given the work he did to make that movie fantastic), are you gonna tell me that Clint didn’t fit in as one of the Control Room guys? That was perfect casting! It was easily the best work I’ve seen him do.
Whereas, I can’t recall him being in A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, The Grinch, Da Vinci Code at all… was he in those movies?
(I think that forgetfulness makes my point, i.e. if he was it clearly wasn’t too obtrusive in my eyes.)
All that said, Frost/Nixon trailer looks good, and I can’t wait to see what political insights Morgan is making with this one (never got to see the play unfortunately, but plan on seeing the National Tour going around this year.)
. . .Reese Witherspoon as June
Never have I, and never will I, understand what made Witherspoon’s performance in WtL so great. I’ve tried, and I really just don’t get it at all.
Also, to keep alive some love for Apollo 13 (I maintain that RH’s snub that year for Director was egregious, given the work he did to make that movie fantastic), are you gonna tell me that Clint didn’t fit in as one of the Control Room guys? That was perfect casting! It was easily the best work I’ve seen him do.
Whereas, I can’t recall him being in A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, The Grinch, Da Vinci Code at all… was he in those movies?
(I think that forgetfulness makes my point, i.e. if he was it clearly wasn’t too obtrusive in my eyes.)
All that said, Frost/Nixon trailer looks good, and I can’t wait to see what political insights Morgan is making with this one (never got to see the play unfortunately, but plan on seeing the National Tour going around this year.)
Ryan, what’s the big deal about Clint Howard? It seems like he’s just the dude that says 3, 2, 1 action and that’s it. He’s not THAT bad of an actor really. Just because he’s Ron’s brother means he can’t be in his movies? The guy’s been in over 100 flicks and I’m pretty sure Ron Howard didn’t direct em all. I think its a little harsh the amount of slack you’re cutting him (none). I’m not saying I’m a big Clint Howard fan or a Clint Howard apologist or whatever. I’m not even a big Ron Howard fan (liked Apollo 13 and Cinderella Man, HAAAATED The Grinch and Da Vinci, though A Beautiful Mind was aaight). I’m just saying, c’mon man.
Ryan, what’s the big deal about Clint Howard? It seems like he’s just the dude that says 3, 2, 1 action and that’s it. He’s not THAT bad of an actor really. Just because he’s Ron’s brother means he can’t be in his movies? The guy’s been in over 100 flicks and I’m pretty sure Ron Howard didn’t direct em all. I think its a little harsh the amount of slack you’re cutting him (none). I’m not saying I’m a big Clint Howard fan or a Clint Howard apologist or whatever. I’m not even a big Ron Howard fan (liked Apollo 13 and Cinderella Man, HAAAATED The Grinch and Da Vinci, though A Beautiful Mind was aaight). I’m just saying, c’mon man.
I wonder if it’s too much to hope that Michael Sheen gets nominated this year.
I wonder if it’s too much to hope that Michael Sheen gets nominated this year.
I suppose I never saw Grinch or Da Vinci Code (which are two of Ron Howard’s most widely seen movies as well as two of his worst reviewed) but I loved Apollo 13 and Cinderella Man and have always felt that he is a good director who gets way too much hate. Plus I spoke with a couple of people who saw this at a test screening and said it was “gonna get all the major nominations,” and Langella and Sheen were both great on broadway.
Looks interesting. I’m not so sure about Frank Langella though. He’s a fine actor but there’s something not very Nixonian about him. Philip Baker Hall in Secret Honor is still the ultimate fictitious Nixon.
It’s also up here:
http://www.iklipz.com/MovieDetail.aspx?MovieID=bee9401f-1921-4702-86cb-0cd7b59a7b2b
I think it looks good. Michael Sheen looks like he’ll be terrific. I wouldn’t have recognized him, esp. with that hair, if I hadn’t known it was him.
Ryan,
1. Heh. I am not American, and I too haven’t been able to stop thinking about The Dark Knight since I saw it.
2. OK, I get it. Incidentally, at which point *does* Howard’s brother appear in the trailer? IMDB doesn’t have him as a cast member (yet?). I know the trailer is down but you can watch it on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4oZQYU5T80
Haha, Ryan!
Maybe it’s a new tendency and even Anne Hathaway feels more comfortable between brackets.
http://cdn.buzznet.com/media/jj1/2008/08/hathaway-conversation/anne-hathaway-le-conversation-02.jpg
(Thanks for making me smile in days like today, escaping from the news).
You know what else is distracting, Ryan? Finding out that Frank Langella is the guy who played Skeletor in Masters of the Universe.
I suppose I never saw Grinch or Da Vinci Code (which are two of Ron Howard’s most widely seen movies as well as two of his worst reviewed) but I loved Apollo 13 and Cinderella Man and have always felt that he is a good director who gets way too much hate. Plus I spoke with a couple of people who saw this at a test screening and said it was “gonna get all the major nominations,” and Langella and Sheen were both great on broadway.
Looks interesting. I’m not so sure about Frank Langella though. He’s a fine actor but there’s something not very Nixonian about him. Philip Baker Hall in Secret Honor is still the ultimate fictitious Nixon.
It’s also up here:
http://www.iklipz.com/MovieDetail.aspx?MovieID=bee9401f-1921-4702-86cb-0cd7b59a7b2b
I think it looks good. Michael Sheen looks like he’ll be terrific. I wouldn’t have recognized him, esp. with that hair, if I hadn’t known it was him.
ack! Thanks, Notluke.
1) I wasn’t paying attention. I saw the .dk domain, so I should’ve known better. I got the link through a 3rd party source that also misidentified the language, and now I see the mistake has propagated from here to others who are spreading the same wrong identification. (ah, the internet! wonderful educational tool! 😎
(Anyway, you know how single-minded Americans can be — for some of us, DK can only stand for one thing this summer, ha.)
2) I was exaggerating the speed of Hitchcock’s cameos. Didn’t literally mean “seconds.” Only wanted to make the point that Hitchcock’s appearances were relatively unobtrusive. Clint Howard never blends in on his brother’s films. For me, his bit parts are a gimmick that stick out like a sore thumb and shatter the reality of any scene he’s in. I can apologize for not being able to get past the feeling, but I can’t pretend that it’s one of many Howard quirks that to me represent a lack of maturity.
Tarantino has the same tendency, but Hitchcock and Tarantino operate in different realm of heightened tone and stylization. A wink and nudge is ok in some movies; inappropriate in others. Howard can parade his entire extended family on screen and give all his cousins roles on Angels and Demons, for all I care. But when he directing a distinguished theater piece I’d don’t like to see it treated like a backyard family picnic.
Ryan,
1. Heh. I am not American, and I too haven’t been able to stop thinking about The Dark Knight since I saw it.
2. OK, I get it. Incidentally, at which point *does* Howard’s brother appear in the trailer? IMDB doesn’t have him as a cast member (yet?). I know the trailer is down but you can watch it on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4oZQYU5T80
Haha, Ryan!
Maybe it’s a new tendency and even Anne Hathaway feels more comfortable between brackets.
http://cdn.buzznet.com/media/jj1/2008/08/hathaway-conversation/anne-hathaway-le-conversation-02.jpg
(Thanks for making me smile in days like today, escaping from the news).
You know what else is distracting, Ryan? Finding out that Frank Langella is the guy who played Skeletor in Masters of the Universe.
S.T.,
No my problem is that Langella doesn’t look like Nixon. The mannerisms are there, but I see Frank Langella with Nixon mannerisms.
When Jamie Foxx was on screen, it was real easy to suspend my disbelief that I was looking at Foxx (except for that god awful dream sequence scene). It was hard to find Charlize Theron in her character in Monster.
I just rewatched the trailer and I still see Frank Langella walking around with Nixon mannerisms. In the picture above, he looks more like a blurred Tommy Lee Jones than he does Richard Nixon.
He may be able to pull it off. I can’t say until I see it.
Two corrections:
1. The subtitles are Danish, not German. (As is the site linked to.)
2. Hitch’s cameos appearing “within the first few seconds after the main credits” is almost never the case. Check here: http://www.filmsite.org/hitchcockcameos.html
ack! Thanks, Notluke.
1) I wasn’t paying attention. I saw the .dk domain, so I should’ve known better. I got the link through a 3rd party source that also misidentified the language, and now I see the mistake has propagated from here to others who are spreading the same wrong identification. (ah, the internet! wonderful educational tool! 😎
(Anyway, you know how single-minded Americans can be — for some of us, DK can only stand for one thing this summer, ha.)
2) I was exaggerating the speed of Hitchcock’s cameos. Didn’t literally mean “seconds.” Only wanted to make the point that Hitchcock’s appearances were relatively unobtrusive. Clint Howard never blends in on his brother’s films. For me, his bit parts are a gimmick that stick out like a sore thumb and shatter the reality of any scene he’s in. I can apologize for not being able to get past the feeling, but I can’t pretend that it’s one of many Howard quirks that to me represent a lack of maturity.
Tarantino has the same tendency, but Hitchcock and Tarantino operate in different realm of heightened tone and stylization. A wink and nudge is ok in some movies; inappropriate in others. Howard can parade his entire extended family on screen and give all his cousins roles on Angels and Demons, for all I care. But when he directing a distinguished theater piece I’d don’t like to see it treated like a backyard family picnic.
This trailer gives me the feeling that Frost/Nixon is headed for multiple nominations — probably two (or more) acting nominations (Langella, Sheen), director, screenplay, maybe editing and then best picture and possibly more. If Anthony Hopkins can play Nixon successfully on screen — and he did IMO — Langella certainly can.
Much as it’s easier for the Academy to acknowledge wars after the fact (Bridge on the River Kwai, Stalag 17, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Longest Day, Saving Private Ryan) — including controversial ones (Platoon, The Deer Hunter, Coming Home, etc.) it’s easier for them to digest disgraced presidents after the fact (Nixon, Frost/Nixon).
Regardless what one thinks of Howard as a director, he’s on the Academy’s good side. We have every reason to believe the production will be considered classy enough to reap nominations — unlike Stone’s “W,” which probably will be passed over because its subject is too current. I mean, when the Oscar noms are announced next January, there’ll still be pretzel crumbs on the rug of the White House TV room.
Don’t underestimate Frank Langella. He’s already done the role on stage before, and he is outstanding in it. It’s not an impersonation at all, it’s a complete performance, and a brilliant one at that. In fact, he makes a performance like Jamie Foxx’s in Ray look like nothing more than an impersonation in comparison. In fact, from the wording it seems like the problem that you have is that Langella’s performance doesn’t look enough like an impersonation, like you don’t think he has the mannerisms or the appearance down well enough. But I assure you, he has the character of Nixon down FLAT, he doesn’t need to resort to physical impersonation to make you believe he really is Richard Milhaus Nixon.
I don’t get Frank Langella as Nixon. He looks like Frank Langella doing a Nixon impersonation. We’ve had some amazing transformation of actors into historical pictures where the actor “becomes” the figure. E.g., Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, and to an extent Charlize Theron as Aileen Wournos. Amazing perfromances. But Langella looks like Langella.
S.T.,
No my problem is that Langella doesn’t look like Nixon. The mannerisms are there, but I see Frank Langella with Nixon mannerisms.
When Jamie Foxx was on screen, it was real easy to suspend my disbelief that I was looking at Foxx (except for that god awful dream sequence scene). It was hard to find Charlize Theron in her character in Monster.
I just rewatched the trailer and I still see Frank Langella walking around with Nixon mannerisms. In the picture above, he looks more like a blurred Tommy Lee Jones than he does Richard Nixon.
He may be able to pull it off. I can’t say until I see it.
Two corrections:
1. The subtitles are Danish, not German. (As is the site linked to.)
2. Hitch’s cameos appearing “within the first few seconds after the main credits” is almost never the case. Check here: http://www.filmsite.org/hitchcockcameos.html
Ok, this could actually be a great film. I’m liking where it’s going.
But does it challenge Apollo 13 for the slightly dubious honor of best Ron Howard film? This prognosticator says no.
Good to know there’s at least one movie about disgraced presidents coming out this year that might actually be watchable.
This trailer gives me the feeling that Frost/Nixon is headed for multiple nominations — probably two (or more) acting nominations (Langella, Sheen), director, screenplay, maybe editing and then best picture and possibly more. If Anthony Hopkins can play Nixon successfully on screen — and he did IMO — Langella certainly can.
Much as it’s easier for the Academy to acknowledge wars after the fact (Bridge on the River Kwai, Stalag 17, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Longest Day, Saving Private Ryan) — including controversial ones (Platoon, The Deer Hunter, Coming Home, etc.) it’s easier for them to digest disgraced presidents after the fact (Nixon, Frost/Nixon).
Regardless what one thinks of Howard as a director, he’s on the Academy’s good side. We have every reason to believe the production will be considered classy enough to reap nominations — unlike Stone’s “W,” which probably will be passed over because its subject is too current. I mean, when the Oscar noms are announced next January, there’ll still be pretzel crumbs on the rug of the White House TV room.
I have to say, it exceeds my expectations (well, the trailer does). I’m adding it to my must-see stat.
I’m seeing this specially for two reasons: Frank Langella and Rebecca Hall.
Definitely not a fan of Howard’s work, but this looks good.
Don’t underestimate Frank Langella. He’s already done the role on stage before, and he is outstanding in it. It’s not an impersonation at all, it’s a complete performance, and a brilliant one at that. In fact, he makes a performance like Jamie Foxx’s in Ray look like nothing more than an impersonation in comparison. In fact, from the wording it seems like the problem that you have is that Langella’s performance doesn’t look enough like an impersonation, like you don’t think he has the mannerisms or the appearance down well enough. But I assure you, he has the character of Nixon down FLAT, he doesn’t need to resort to physical impersonation to make you believe he really is Richard Milhaus Nixon.
I don’t get Frank Langella as Nixon. He looks like Frank Langella doing a Nixon impersonation. We’ve had some amazing transformation of actors into historical pictures where the actor “becomes” the figure. E.g., Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, and to an extent Charlize Theron as Aileen Wournos. Amazing perfromances. But Langella looks like Langella.
Having seen Frost/Nixon shortly after the Tony Awards in 2007 I can say that Frank Langella gave the performance of a lifetime!! I can not WAIT to see this movie. I mean, the man gave a monologue to the audience and when he left the stage the audience erupted in thunderous applause….he’s just brilliant. And hey, Jennifer Hudson has an Oscar, isn’t it time Frank Langella has one too 🙂
that might be a bit much Ryan. that bit about Clint Howard. When I saw him I was like that’s Ron Howards bro.
I didn’t care much because Frank looks great as does Sheen. Strong contenders down the line maybe.
(Thanks to Twinzin for the tip.)
(iggy, and you’re worried you’re too parenthetical? My sentences wear parentheses like slow-kid earmuffs.)
The intrusive subtitles and smeared video don’t bother me because I know those problems will go away.
But here’s one thing that won’t go away. When spending millions of dollars to faithfully recreate an era down to the smallest prop and funky haircut, and when actors like Langella do such an amazing job nailing every nuance of posture, gesture and vocal trait of the historical figures they’re impersonating — doesn’t it sort of kill the whole grand facade every time little brother Clint Howard crops up like a chronic cough in Ron Howard’s movies?
All that time, effort, and considerable expenditure to transport us to a Memorex carbon copy of an specific time and place, and there’s Clint with another weird little beard wandering into frame, sticking his head through various face-in-hole tourist-photo backdrops.
I know Hitchcock indulged his playful walk-on cameos, but he had the good sense to get them over with and move on within the first few seconds after the main credits. (and even then, they’re distracting) (and Ron Howard is no Hitchcock) But seeing Clint Howard in this trailer takes me right out of the moment.
Sorry, I know it’s nit-picky, and otherwise this first look is impressive enough. Too bad the pointless nepotism got in the way of my complete immersion.
looks interesting. more so than I’d previously thought but i still have doubts it will be as big of an oscar player as many think.
Ok, this could actually be a great film. I’m liking where it’s going.
But does it challenge Apollo 13 for the slightly dubious honor of best Ron Howard film? This prognosticator says no.
Good to know there’s at least one movie about disgraced presidents coming out this year that might actually be watchable.
I have to say, it exceeds my expectations (well, the trailer does). I’m adding it to my must-see stat.
I’m seeing this specially for two reasons: Frank Langella and Rebecca Hall.
Definitely not a fan of Howard’s work, but this looks good.
Having seen Frost/Nixon shortly after the Tony Awards in 2007 I can say that Frank Langella gave the performance of a lifetime!! I can not WAIT to see this movie. I mean, the man gave a monologue to the audience and when he left the stage the audience erupted in thunderous applause….he’s just brilliant. And hey, Jennifer Hudson has an Oscar, isn’t it time Frank Langella has one too 🙂
that might be a bit much Ryan. that bit about Clint Howard. When I saw him I was like that’s Ron Howards bro.
I didn’t care much because Frank looks great as does Sheen. Strong contenders down the line maybe.
(Thanks to Twinzin for the tip.)
(iggy, and you’re worried you’re too parenthetical? My sentences wear parentheses like slow-kid earmuffs.)
The intrusive subtitles and smeared video don’t bother me because I know those problems will go away.
But here’s one thing that won’t go away. When spending millions of dollars to faithfully recreate an era down to the smallest prop and funky haircut, and when actors like Langella do such an amazing job nailing every nuance of posture, gesture and vocal trait of the historical figures they’re impersonating — doesn’t it sort of kill the whole grand facade every time little brother Clint Howard crops up like a chronic cough in Ron Howard’s movies?
All that time, effort, and considerable expenditure to transport us to a Memorex carbon copy of an specific time and place, and there’s Clint with another weird little beard wandering into frame, sticking his head through various face-in-hole tourist-photo backdrops.
I know Hitchcock indulged his playful walk-on cameos, but he had the good sense to get them over with and move on within the first few seconds after the main credits. (and even then, they’re distracting) (and Ron Howard is no Hitchcock) But seeing Clint Howard in this trailer takes me right out of the moment.
Sorry, I know it’s nit-picky, and otherwise this first look is impressive enough. Too bad the pointless nepotism got in the way of my complete immersion.
looks interesting. more so than I’d previously thought but i still have doubts it will be as big of an oscar player as many think.