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A reader sees a test screening of Ron Howard's FROST/NIXON and says it's "outstanding"!!!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. We got what I believe is our first review for FROST/NIXON, directed by Ron Howard, based on the play of the same name. Our spy, calling him/herself THE AMBER SPYGLASS, sounds very... young. But he/she loved the movie. The review isn't filled with spoilers, but you get a basic idea of the flick and the reactions of our spy. Keep in mind this is still a work in progress. Enjoy the brief review!!!
This is my first time sending in a review so I’m not sure if I’m supposed to send it directly to you or whoever, but I figure if you like it you can use it on the site.
I just got back from if not the first than one of the first screenings for Ron Howard’s next film “Frost/Nixon.” It was screening in White Plains, NY. The movie description goes as follows: “After resigning in one of the nation’s greatest scandals, Richard Nixon stayed silent for three years. But in 1977, the cunning former President agreed to a one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office, and try to save his legacy. Nixon surprised everyone by choosing David Frost as his interviewer, perceiving the British talk-show host to be a lightweight. But as “Frost/Nixon” follows both men and their teams through weeks of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, negotiation, and deal-making, Frost emerges as a canny player, leading to a remarkable series of television interviews in which both men expose their own insecurities, ego and reserves of dignity in a stunning display of unvarnished truth. Academy Award winning director Ron Howard brings the electrifying real-life battle of wits between Richard Nixon, the disgraced President, and David Prose, the jet-setting television personality, to the screen in “Frost/Nixon,” based on the tony award winning play.”
The film stars Frank Langella as Richard Nixon (his Tony award winning role), Michael Sheen as David Frost, as well as Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell and Matthew McFaden.
Let me just say I did not grow up in this time period, in fact I was born almost a decade after these interviews took place. That said, this movie was outstanding. I know enough of the Watergate scandal to understand what was going on obviously, but I was unaware of the interviews with David Frost. This film, roughly two hours in length, doesn’t slow up or go too fast, it is perfectly paced. Along with the storyline that takes place, intercut are fictional interviews with Frost’s team taken in 1982 that add to the storyline. Both Michael Sheen and Frank Langella were outstanding in their respective roles. I saw the movie with my father who said Frank Langella was dead-on as President Nixon. Making up Frost’s team were Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, and Michael McFadden, each of which were great, but Sam Rockwell stood out in my mind.
All in all this movie was excellent. The picture quality wasn’t there and the sound at times was a tad off, but this was to be expected because the film is still in post-production.
If you need a more “spoilerish” review I can give one, just not sure what you expected. If you use this, call me The Amber Spyglass.
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BITCHES...
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It'll be interesting to see if they use prosthetics on Langella's gob.
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but if you've actually seen the interview in question, which I have, you've got to ask yourself what the screenwriter was high on when he thought it'd be a good idea for a movie. Hell, you might as well have made a movie about Paris Hilton's appearance on Letterman. Nixon was candid, sure, but it's not like he got anything as shocking as what he'd already said on those tapes.
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maybe he could also play the penguin in the next batman movie... he was fucking skeletor, you know...
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well he wasn't having sex with skeletor, he just played him in a movie.
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I'm not familiar with the play, but if the movie can effectively contextualize the interviews they might have something good here. The cast sounds awesome. Frank Langella is terrific, underrated; maybe his time to shine has come. And I usually like Ron Howard's work.
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This looks interesting, it will be interesting to see how Frost is potrayed.
I think my Dad wanted to do this interview - I'm pretty sure he asked to do it - and he was always dismissive of Frost, calling him a lightweight. -
I saw this on Broadway twice last spring. I even considered reviewing it for the site after hearing about the feature film plans. I never got around to that but I can assure everyone that this is sure to be one of the best films of next year. Langella is phenomenal and Michael Sheen captures all of David Frost's wit and wisdom perfectly. i love the casting choices of Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, and Toby Jones. They are perfectly suited to those roles. I loved the play so much but I think the film could be even better, as it may leave out some of the narration that seemed a little unnecessary in the play. I can't wait. I know there are a lot of Ron Howard haters out there, (i'm not one of them) but i can assure you that even he can't mess up this great script.
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I don't think he is a completely terrible director, but I find his work pretty pedestrian. For example, I think he took all the fun out of DAVINCI CODE and made it a plodding snoozefest. But the studios can count on him to bring in a film on time and on budget. I'll see this one.
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I saw it in London and it was fantastic. Really gets under Frost's skin, can't wait to see it!
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You gotta catch Bill Bailey's impression of Prowse using his own, heavily inflected voice as Vader - hilarious...
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...semi-official, re-imagined prequel to Face/Off?
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...who's yo daddy?
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is one of the dullest directors working today. The guy just goes for the Oscar crowd. Now if it had been Fonzie directing... Aaay!
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I think this just goes to show how little the main contributors at AICN care about the content. I mean, this is a major glaring error and so it's obvious no-one read it first.
Bunch of amateurs. -
Where is BringingSexyBack when you need him?
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Hey, what do "Bucko" mean? Say WHAT? I'm gonna kill 'im...
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is boring.
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Fuck this movie!
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dude that skit is hilarious... I'M NOT OPIE CUNNINGHAM, I'M RON HOWARD! SIT ON IT, BUCKO!
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The man has zero directorial skill. Z-E-R-O. The year "A Beautiful Mind" lurched into theaters, absolutely any of the other films nominated for the Oscar would have been a better choice. Any at all.
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... not Langella, not Anthony Hopkins, not Dan Hedaya... but Philip Baker Hall in Robert Altman's "Secret Honor."
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I must cry "Plant!"
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The kid sounds about as old as you, Quint! Just screwing with you, of course. This sounds kind of interesting.
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the synopsis was just off the Free Screening pass i was handed, and why would they plant someone for this movie this far ahead of time? I wasn't sure if people knew what the movie was about so I added it in
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He shouldn't even have a credit in any film, we should just assume he's in it.
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I'm just curious. Is there a scene in the film you can recall where David Frost shows up to the premiere of a movie he produced and he's bombarded with questions about the upcoming Nixon interview? Just curious.
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Clockwork Orange. Dude was built!!
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Was it on Al-Jazeera?
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yeah there is a scene like that, they show Frost and his ladyfriend rolling up to the premiere, and then they cut to Nixon watching the thing on TV, Frost isn't really bombarded with questions but the only questions they ask are of his interview with Nixon, not about the movie he's producing
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You hear that Brian? You are a TOOL! And also, your "partner" SUCKS!
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I saw it as a play in London and thought it didn't have heart. I was surprised this became a hit back in the states because I thought it was about the wrong thing and I assumed people back home would react the same way. Nixon's interesting. The man was angry, paranoid, and corrupt, and for a while he was the most powerful person in the world. But the play wasn't about that. Instead it talked about the media and the role TV plays our political life. Not really the basis of compelling drama. On the other hand seeing powerful people who lie, cheat and abuse their power get humbled in front of an audience of millions, to me that's cool. The play built up to a moment where that happens, and it was a great moment, but the whole show should've been about that, and it wasn't.
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funny story i read in a book about the meeting with mao and nixon, they met for over an hour and had so much in common with mao remarking he liked him since he was a rightist. later when a paper compared nixon to mao as a sleight he was delighted instead. also reagan is the most overrated president.
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Poor Clint Howard.
Balok lives! -
And that's all I have to say about that.
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He's using the momentum created by the good word of mouth of the play to do a movie about it. With the same actors! fuck him If it's successful he would have gotten the spoil by work created by someone else.
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is better than your favorite actor. Unless your favorite actor is Peter Sarsgaard.
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should dig up Rockwell's appearance as a pizza delivery guy in an old Stella short (before their TV show in which he played a fake mustache dealer). Rockwell *was* that pizza guy.
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with Stephen Frears and who they cast as Bush opposite him. After The Deal (excellent) and The Queen (Very Good) we can shovel shit over the little bastard's supposed legacy.
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