Frost/Nixon review

 Number 552 on the top 1000 films of all time is Ron Howard's historical drama Frost/Nixon.

1970's America was rocked by the Watergate Scandal which saw Richard Nixon resign the presidency. To rehabilitate this his image, Nixon (played by Frank Langella) gives a series of tell-all interviews by English has-been talk-show host David Frost (Michael Sheen.) Kevin bacon, Rebecca Hall, Matthew McFayden and Sam Rockwell all co-star in this dramatisation of the true-life story.

Forst/Nixon reminded me of another Watergate-themed film: All the President's Men which focussed on the actual investigation into Watergate. Although I like that film on the first watch, subsequent rewatches proved it hard-going and confusing. I thought it would be a similar case here, but I'm glad to say I was wrong.

Frost-Nixon was a surprisingly gripping film especially so as it was a very talkey film, by its nature. Ron Howard employed a docu-drama esque style where he had talking heads speaking directly to the camera and providing helpful bits of exposition for dopey viewers like me.

However, what this film hinged on the most was the strength of its two leads. Sheen and Langella certainly delivered the goods. Initially, Frost seems like a deer in the headlights, woefully unprepared, as he allows Nixon to dominate the conversation. He is less Jeremy Paxman and more Graham Norton, but as the interview progresses we see his confidence build.

Frank Langella was also a worthy opponent. He was great as Richard Nixon. He rightly deserved a Best Actor nomintation, which paired well with the Tony Award he received for the original stage production of the film. Frost/Nixon began life as a theatre play written by Peter Morgan who also wrote the screenplay, receiving an Oscar nomination. True he took some creative license, but he still crafted an interesting script.

If I were to criticise anything, it would be Rebecca Hall's inclusion as Frost's girlfriend Caroline Cushing. Cushing was a rather boring and pointless character. Wait sorry. She did buy cheeseburgers for Frost.

That aside I did enjoy Frost/Nixon. it was a surprising watch but a welcome one to be sure.

Notes on a Scandal review

 Number 842 on the top 1000 films of all time is the British psychological thriller 'Notes on a Scandal.'

Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) is an old, stern teacher who runs her classroom with an iron fist. But she is also unmarried, childless and deeply lonely. She then strikes up a friendship with her school's new art teacher Bathsheba 'Sheba' Hart (Cate Blanchett.) When Barbara discovers Sheba is having an affair with one of her pupils, she decides to use this to her own advantage. Bill Nighy co-stars as Sheba's husband - Richard.

In many ways, Notes on a Scandal reminded me of the the Talented Mr Ripley. Both of them are based on books. And both have similar themes of love, obsession and deceit, as well as homo-erotic undertones. They also feature stellar performances from their lead actors.

I thought Judi Dench was great as the formidable Barbara Covett. She also narrates the film with a world-worn cynicism that is all too relatable for many teachers. Her narration gave the film a brilliant immediacy and throttled the pace along. Despite her cynicism, she is still a sympathetic character. it is implied that she has remained unmarried due to some unrealised lesbianism. It is out of loneliness that she attaches herself to Sheba. It out of jealousy that she starts to act with malice and spite. Remove a "T" from her last name and you're left with "covet."

I was less convinced by Sheba's characterisation. Firstly, "Bathsheba" is a name that's incredibly on the nose. But I found the naivete frustrating. She saw herself as an unwilling victim who was seduced by a 15-year-old boy, and not as the aggressor. However, this would be common behaviour for people in denial of their crimes.

I also don't think Richard was well-characterised. One moment he's friendly towards Covett. The next, he is unduly horrible, the next he's her best mate again. it seems like his behaviour was dictated by whatever the plot needed it to be at that particular moment.

These criticisms are applied more to the writing rather than the acting. Blanchett and Nighy were very good. Although the characterisation was wonky, the plotting was good, as we see how a simple lie starts to unravel. And, all hell breaks loose, when the truth emerges.

Dench and Blanchett both receive Oscar nods for their work, so the acting was obviously great. Yes, the characterisations were off, but the writing was generally good. I just can't get over "Bathsheba" as a name. Why else would you name your character that if you didn't want them to be a married woman being lusted over by a younger man? Only leading to her cheating on her husband with this younger man. You might as well have just called her Jezebel.