Frost/Nixon

I wish I had gotten around to posting my review of Frost/Nixon before the critic's reviews came out. Then I could have beaten Brantley to the punch in describing "the momentum of a ticking-bomb thriller and the zing of a boulevard comedy". Actually I probably would have just said that it's splashy and dark and zippy and intense and sad and funny. I really liked Frost/Nixon, and sort of saw it as a more fun, more palatable cousin of British import Democracy, another story about two important men's relationship and the precarious nature of power and the public eye. Frank Langella, whose mug is so recognizable, disappears into the Nixon persona, and Michael Sheen's effortlessness is delightful to watch. It's also incredibly impressive how deftly the actors navigate playing to both the last row of the audience (where I sat) and the extreme close-up of the onstage television cameras.

I was profoundly moved by the apology Nixon finally offers to the American people at the play's conclusion. I was surprised to be so affected by it - these events took place decades ago, and I certainly don't need an apology from Nixon to sleep at night - but I realized that what Nixon was offering up (after much prodding from David Frost) was exactly the thing that we Americans long to hear from our current president. An admission that mistakes were made, lies were told, and most importantly, the ownership of responsibility. This administration has done so much damage, much of it irreparable, but I truly believe it would mean a great deal for Bush to say, in no uncertain terms, "I have let down the American people, and for that I am sorry." I know, I know - I'll keep dreaming. But I think that's an important part of what makes Frost/Nixon so moving.