Kenneth Turan calls Frost/Nixon possibly the best film of Ron Howard’s career. One has to wonder if the film isn’t a sleeping giant and that it’s possible for a surprise in this year’s Best Pic race. The NY Times’ Manohla Dargis was none too impressed, however (hers after the cut) Here is Turan:
Ron Howard is celebrating his 50th year in show business, and if you learn anything in that span, it’s not to mess with a good thing. In “Frost/Nixon,” the veteran director smoothly demonstrates the value of that attitude, taking a silk purse of a project, making it even silkier and producing perhaps the best work of his career in the process.
Writer Morgan singled out:
“Frost/Nixon,” however, turns out to be formidably involving, and the reasons start not with expert costars Langella and Michael Sheen or their strong supporting cast or even the skills of Howard, but with the gifts and vision of Morgan, who wrote the screenplay as well as the play.
He closes it this way:
The result is involving, engrossing cinema — more thrilling, in fact, than Howard’s “The Da Vinci Code” — filmmaking of a type rarely seen anymore and sorely missed.
Yeah, I know, Da Vinci Code, that’s not saying much. But still, you have to appreciate an out and out rave.
Pete Travers on Langella:
Start with “magnificent” to describe Frank Langella’s bone-deep performance as Nixon. It’s one for the time capsule. What Langella does is less imitation than total immersion. He gets the man’s cunning, paranoia, failed charm and inescapable sadness. It’s clear that the Tony Award he won won’t be the last prize Langella collects for this role of a lifetime.
Howard does his most ingenious directing to date by using the interviews as a way to peel back the layers that create a public image. As such, Nixon has never seemed more accountable or more shockingly exposed. Frost/Nixon, one of the year’s best films, far exceeds its roots as docudrama. It cuts to the core of a toxic culture that sees politics as show business, a culture still all too recognizable as our own.
Manohla Dargis, though, sees it a bit differently - mostly impressed with the film she seems to zero in on Langella as a weakness:
And devour Mr. Langella does, chomp chomp. Artfully lighted and shot to
accentuate the character’s trembling, affronted jowls, his shoulders
hunched, face bunched, he creeps along like a spider, alternately
retreating into the shadows and pouncing with a smile. That smile should
give you nightmares, but Mr. Howard, a competent craftsman who tends to
dim the lights in his movies even while brightening their themes (“A
Beautiful Mind”), has neither the skill nor the will to draw out a
dangerous performance from Mr. Langella, something to make your skin
crawl or heart leap. Unlike Oliver Stone, who invested Nixon (a
memorable Anthony Hopkins) with Shakespearean heft but refused to
sentimentalize him, this is a portrait designed to elicit a sniffy tear
or two along with a few statuettes.
No Response for "Watch out for Frost/Nixon"
I really want to see this.
i have to say that my first thought after seeing it this weekend was: “This film’s gonna win best picture.” I don’t necessarily agree, though I think it’s a terrific film. (Langella’s performance is exceptional and Peter Morgan’s script is just as compelling (if not more so) as it was on stage. While it may not end up being my personal favorite of the year, I have NO trouble seeing go all the way at the Oscars. Nor would I argue much.
I saw it a few days ago. It exceeded my low expectations, and yet… I just don’t see it cracking the top 5 for best pic. It’s just not outstanding as a complete film. Solid performances, great writing, but just above average directing. The stage play worked better, for me. I don’t see it coming out on top with any precursors. Nominations or a couple top ten lists, maybe. Other people at the screening seemed to find it good, not great. It’s just not a film you fall in love with, unless you’re Kenneth Turan, I guess.
Definitely seems like this could be the “Queen” or “Michael Clayton” of the year. Especially if Doubt and/or The Reader and/or Revolutionary Road fall out of the main race. The only things close to locks right now seem to be Button, Slumdog, and Milk. I expect two of The Dark Knight, RR, and F/N to complete the BP lineup.
But do we really think (all of a sudden again) that Langella is going to win? I could see it going to Sean Penn, probably not Mickey Rourke even though he has the real story of the year, possibly Clint if he actually gets nominated…most likely not Leo but would be a cool choice…Richard Jenkins seemed to have some early buzz but now isn’t even getting mentioned, probably b/c of the Langella/Rourke hoopla.
This is arguably the most wide-open/open-ended Best Actor race in years, at least since Adrien Brody won. Actually, if Kate and Heath win supporting, this might be the first year in a long while where both supporting categories settle into place before the lead ones do.
I find it amazing that the golden globes nominations will be announced a week from now and there we still have such a long list of possible contenders. I haven’t heard much talk about the golden globe noms at all actually. I do think that Frost/Nixon has a good chance for a win there, which could give it a boost.
It did have the awards season vibe of The Queen or Michael Clayton. Yet, I preferred both of those to Frost/Nixon. Maybe I’m unfairly comparing it to the play, or I’m just not a Ron Howard fan.
I really liked the film, I just can’t see it edging out any of my other frontrunners — yet. Time will tell.
And after inspecting the NBR Top 10, I am very curious (if that’s the right word) about another possible “sleeping giant,” Defiance, which I’ll be seeing tomorrow evening. (The presence of the lead actors at the screening will definitely compensate for any flaws in the film.)
Dargis’s description of Langella’s performance sound similar to what I watched on stage. He is a scenery chewer.
For whatever reason, the Globes have been fairly unreliable lately in terms of predicting. But it will be interesting to see what they choose – I’ll be writing up a preview later today or tomorrow.
long time listener, I have not seen the movie. But I think your assessment sounds very accurate. From the looks of it, the movie looks ‘good’, and the directing may be ‘good’, the acting looks great, and the writing excellent, as well. BP nominee? Mmmmmaybe. Winner, I don’t think so.
I think Langella is virtually a shoo-in at this point, but I don’t really forecast any nominations for Frost/Nixon other than that. I just thought the movie was so dominated by Langella’s performance – even Sheen, who does a great job himself, gets completely overshadowed.
“Dargis’s description of Langella’s performance sound similar to what I watched on stage. He is a scenery chewer.”
I think there will be two schools of thought on this. Playing someone with such well-known mannerisms means that some viewers will really dig the performance, while others will see it as scenery chewing, or simply grating. I’ve read reviews that said that Langella’s eyes weren’t darting quickly enough. But let’s not forget that he had a well-received (and very different) performance just last year and there was some buzz that voters were intentionally holding back to reward him this year.
Interesting that David Straitharn was apparently the producers’ first choice to play Nixon in the stage production.
I am a bit confused, Sahsa: In your awards calender the date for the Globe announcement is next Tuesday, but another source said it´s december, 11th- next Thursday??
Dominik,
December 11, 2008, Thursday
at 5:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Where’s this awards calendar you’re seeing?
Nobody shows me anything around here.
I have to go groping around in the dark.
I posted a list of major awards season dates a few hours ago.
Mostly correct, I think.
Thanks, Ryan!
That means the announcement is about 15:00 CET- perfect timing!
So it´s true. I´ve been saying it all along. This movie will fly in under the radar almost.
Yes, thank you- it is December 11, you’re right. Fixed it. And here I was thinking Tuesday!!! Crikey.
I saw the film today and thought it was great, perhaps a slight bit below the play but then again I loved the play. I do think a best picture nod is in order and Langella will almost certainly get nominated, though I actually liked Sheen even more (a reversal of the play were, as in the film, both actors were very good but I felt Langella was the better one); too bad the film probably won’t quite be the dominating oscar force needed to pull a nod for Sheen in a crowded best actor category.
Leave a reply
All comments should respect the Awards Daily House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please let us know, quoting the comment in question.