Frost/Nixon (2008)

The film succeeds as a spellbinding thriller centered on the tense interviews, with strong performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen that embody the characters' deep needs and vulnerabilities.

The critic praises the film for finding a fresh angle on Nixon through the lens of two men seeking redemption, with the story structured like a sports underdog tale. He singles out Langella's masterful performance highlighting Nixon's charm, guile, and self-sabotage.

Howard takes a strong play and makes it even better, delivering involving, engrossing cinema thanks to professional skills and standout performances, especially Langella's Nixon.

The film successfully preserves the strong stage performances of Michael Sheen and Frank Langella while turning the material into an energetic sports-movie-style underdog story. It is not Sheen's best work but remains likeable thanks to his charm and Langella's vulnerable Nixon.

The critic praises Michael Sheen's pitch-perfect, layered portrayal of Frost and Ron Howard's dynamic, sports-movie-like adaptation that turns the interviews into gripping drama. They note it celebrates journalism effectively but find Frank Langella's Nixon lacking sufficient menace and the film light on historical depth.

The critic enjoys the film as a sharp battle of wits and character study devoid of heroes, highlighting Frank Langella's sublime, nuanced Nixon and Michael Sheen's magnetic, multifaceted Frost. They note the faithful adaptation may underwhelm fans of the play but succeeds as engaging drama about television and manipulation.

The film brings Nixon's intelligence to the forefront in an absorbing duel of interviews, offering insight without fully solving the mystery, though it carries an unwarranted aura of momentousness.

The adaptation of the play is a soothing, agreeably amusing experience anchored by excellent leads, though it lacks the dangerous edge that could make the portrait of Nixon more unsettling.

Frank Langella delivers a magnetic, non-impersonating performance as Nixon that will attract awards attention, though the film has problems finding its audience and never makes the on-screen contest feel truly equal. Howard opens out the stage play adequately but it remains a not-very-cinematic piece focused on the power of the TV image.

The critic finds the central performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen fascinating and the climactic close-up powerful on the big screen. They complain that the material stays stubbornly uncinematic, with too much Hollywood artillery applied to an essentially two-hander talky drama that sits uneasily between stage play and film.

The critic dismisses the film as a trivial, self-important showbiz story that inflates the interviews into phony therapy and sanctimony while sidelining Nixon's real crimes. He complains that it offers little new insight beyond the famous quote and prefers a more irreverent approach like the film Dick.

The film is a riveting, sharper and more intense version of the stage play about the Frost-Nixon interviews. It focuses on the high-stakes confrontations between the two ambitious men and the strong supporting performances around them.

The critic views the film more as a boxing match than a political drama, with strong early rounds for Nixon and a knockout for Frost. He praises the lead performances by Langella and Sheen while noting Howard's professional but personality-free direction and some overly slick fictional elements.

The critic is won over by the film’s emotional power, especially in the interview scenes, and singles out Frank Langella’s towering, sympathetic performance as Nixon for making every other element feel authentic.

The film is a compelling underdog story of David Frost's interviews with Richard Nixon, with strong direction from Ron Howard that builds tension effectively. It belongs to the standout performances of Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, who bring the verbal sparring to life.

Ron Howard's drama humanizes Nixon through Langella's performance as a thoughtful and fragile figure rather than a monolithic villain, while Sheen nails Frost's mannerisms. The boxing-match structure and focus on the characters' humanity are the film's true achievements.

The film is a gripping dramatization of the lead-up to and circumstances of the famous interviews, with strong writing and a phenomenal cast led by Frank Langella as Nixon. It is taut and enthralling despite some disruptive talking-heads interludes.

The film succeeds as drama thanks to a talented supporting cast and especially Langella's brilliant, complex performance as Nixon, even as it relies on historical exaggerations and invented moments for suspense. Howard positions Frost as an underdog who rises to the challenge.