Frost/Nixon

Nominated for five Oscars (but winning none), director Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon—based on Peter Morgan's play—serves up a marvelous recreation of the infamous 1977 interview of disgraced President Richard M. Nixon by TV talk show host David Frost. The film generates considerable suspense during the dramatization of trying to book Nixon, with Frost struggling to raise financial backing for the interview, while also facing enormous pressure to nail his subject publicly for his Watergate-related crimes. Frost/Nixon also successfully relates the extent to which the former president and his aides attempted to manipulate the event to their benefit. Oscar nominee Frank Langella reprises his Tony-winning characterization of the perfidious Nixon, with the equally effective Michael Sheen (so wonderful as Prime Minister Tony Blair in The Queen) costarring in a sympathetic portrayal of the playboy inquisitor Frost. The verbal pyrotechnics between the pair are a joy to behold, as the famously evasive Nixon stubbornly tries to resist Frost's attempts to wring from him an apology for the Watergate fiasco. Masterfully scripted, acted, and directed, Frost/Nixon was one of 2008's best films. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Ron Howard, a half-hour's worth of deleted scenes, a 23-minute “making-of” featurette, seven minutes of clips from the actual interviews, a featurette on “The Nixon Library” (6 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “Discovering Secrets” behind-the-scenes featurette (13 min.), “The Nixon Chronicles” optional trivia track offering information on the people and events during the film, a picture-in-picture track featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for one of 2008's best films.] (E. Hulse)