Frost/Nixon Review

(Note: This may contain spoilers, however if you are over 40 you already know how this plays out)

This was the first movie I have seen in a long while where not a gun was fired or not a crude joke (that I can remember) was made that I really enjoyed. It also has the most appropriate title of any movie I can remember. "Frost/Nixon" sounds like a boxing match (De La Hoya/Pacquiao), and that's exactly what this movie was. The movie really followed the same lines as a boxing movie.
The beginning of the movie lays out were both Richard Nixon (played amazingly by Frank Langella) and David Frost (Michael Sheen) were in their life. Having not been around at the time of Watergate or the actual events of the movie, I found the background information very helpful. They painted Nixon as a defiant, hated criminal; loved only by his closest advisers and family members. David Frost was a media playboy who was known for talk shows and fluff pieces. The evolution of both characters throughout the movie was fantastic.
From there it showed the preparation from both sides. They went into enough detail on what went on in both the camps to prepare for the TV special. Frost's camp coming up with a thousand different ways to 'nail' Nixon, while Nixon's camp was sure that his superior intellect would restore Dick to his former political glory. The movie did a great job of laying out the tactics of both sides, while not getting bogged down in all the historical details. It gave plenty of context to someone like me who had a limited knowledge of the specific happenings of this event.
The third part of the movie was the actual toe-toe interactions between Frost and Nixon. The tension was extraordinary. You could feel them sweating under the 'studio' lights, and struggling for the upper hand as the interview went on. The internal and external turmoil of both characters was told in such a way that your feelings toward them constantly changed. In the end though you feel that each character got what they needed.

I would highly suggest watching Frost/Nixon as it was a really well done, tension filled political drama. It had great acting and a compelling story line as well as all the historical background you needed to understand the plot. I give it an 8.5 out of 10