jrod
Ghost writer
Posts: 970
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Post by jrod on Dec 30, 2008 2:14:15 GMT
Caught this one today.
First, the good. The interviews are very well done, mainly because of the excellent athlete. Frank Langella absolutely becomes Nixon, and Michael Sheen holds his own playing Frost.
Luckily, the interviews take up most of the movies second half, because I was checking my watch during the first hour. I'm not a huge fan of Ron Howard's films in general, but one thing I will say for him is that he usually does a decent job fleshing out all of his characters. Not here. A pretty solid supporting cast seems rather poorly used. Also, the splicing in of documentary-type footage didn't really work for me either.
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RNL
Global Moderator
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Post by RNL on Jan 10, 2009 16:03:38 GMT
I enjoyed it. It's seems fairly complacent and doesn't ever adopt anywhere near as critical a position as it'd need to to say something significant, but as a buildup to a sort of climactic face-off it's engaging. As you say, Langella is amazing.
I'm only superficially familiar with the scandal itself, I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who's got a good grasp of the history.
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Post by ronnierocketago on Jan 10, 2009 16:33:45 GMT
I enjoyed it. It's seems fairly complacent and doesn't ever adopt anywhere near as critical a position as it'd need to to say something significant, but as a buildup to a sort of climactic face-off it's engaging. As you say, Langella is amazing. I'm only superficially familiar with the scandal itself, I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who's got a good grasp of the history. Where you from anyway?
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RNL
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Posts: 6,624
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Post by RNL on Jan 10, 2009 18:18:37 GMT
Ireland.
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Post by ronnierocketago on Jan 10, 2009 18:56:12 GMT
Alright. as for FROST/NIXON, not seen it but I read the script, so I guess that's as close as seeing it. What in mind would you like to know about Watergate/Nixon?
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RNL
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Post by RNL on Jan 10, 2009 19:10:08 GMT
Just more about what exactly Nixon did.
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Post by ronnierocketago on Jan 10, 2009 19:46:41 GMT
Basically, the short story is that Nixon's administration got pissed at major leaks within it's higher ranks, and addition to that Nixon felt that the liberal-Mainstream Media was doing their best to sabotage him and his Vietnamization Plan. Some of that was Nixon's utter paranoia, but the rest was sorta legit heat. Vietnamization briefly, Nixon scaled back direct American military involvement (i.e. Troops) in Nam, and make the South Vietnamese military fight the hard dirty war. U.S. would supply weapons, help bomb even more shit, etc. Part of that plan though was overthrowing the government of the neighboring Cambodia, because that regime wouldn't destroy NVA (North Vietnam Army) supply-tunnels/routes through its borders. With CIA help, that government fell but down the line in the ensuing chaos and instability, the fucking evil Khmer Rouge came to power, and would cause a holocaust of about more than a million Cambodians. Anyway, Nixon wants this plan, which included his Triangulation Politics (Shatter the Communist Alliance between China/Soviet Union, and manipulate both to pressure NVA to the peace table) to happen, so his White House hired its own "Intelligence" security team to wiretap possible enemies/trouble-makers, sabotage them (like Muskie's 1972 Presidential campaign), and break & entering for blackmail purposes. The latter they did to the office of Dennis Ellsberg, who had leaked the Pentagon Papers, which proved that the U.S. government from Presidents Truman and Johnson had absolutely deceived the country on about everything in Vietnam. That team of ex-CIA/military/Cuban Nationals were nuts, but were called "The Plumbers"[/i] by Nixon because they stopped leaks. I think it was member Gordon Libby who proposed that they firebomb the Brookings Institute, which in aftermath that team would scoop up possible good Intel. That didn't happen, but still that's the sorta shit the Nixon White House talked about regularly and seriously. Now the Watergate Hotel in D.C., in 1972 it housed that year's Democratic National Committee party Headquarters, and the Plumbers were sent to break-in/look for dirt/wiretap, etc. But they got busted by the cops, and two years later after newspaper investigations, Congressional hearings, Administration officers taking the fall, Nixon finally was forced to resign because Congress were certain to impeach, and likely remove him from office. I think FROST/NIXON made a point that Nixon resigned among other things because he wanted to keep his lofty Presidential pension, which he woulda lost if convicted. Also he wanted to keep his tapes private, which I think he did until he died. I mean for an incredibly intelligent President, he sure was fucking dumb in having his whole White House tape-recorded. That and not burning them. But you know, I'm glad he didn't. Listen to those tapes on YouTube, and you get a frank if ugly insight into the Presidency and Nixon himself, like when after crushing George McGovern in the 1972 election, he shits all over him: To read for yourself, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WatergateIf you haven't seen it, try and check out the masterpiece ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, probably the epitome reporting picture I think. That was about Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as the Washington Post reporters who through hardwork, stubborness, and old school journalism, they brough about Nixon's downfall. A great mystery movie. I would also recommend Oliver Stone's NIXON, an underrated triumph of his.
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Capo
Administrator
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Post by Capo on Jan 12, 2009 15:11:49 GMT
I can see wetdog really liking All the President's Men.
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Post by ronnierocketago on Jan 12, 2009 16:24:19 GMT
I can see wetdog really liking All the President's Men. I think it was you who stated that despite an avalanche of names/dates being thrown about without the movie sitting down to connect the dots, Goldman/Pakula/producer Redford were still able somehow to streamline them to which the viewer still has an idea or picture of the unveiling conspiracy.
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Post by arkadyrenko on Jan 13, 2009 18:11:08 GMT
I only have on thing to say about this movie: why the hell it had to be frakking Opie to direct it? ? Nobody else was avalilable or interested? I find that very hard to believe. Frakking Opie!!!
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Capo
Administrator
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Post by Capo on Feb 8, 2009 21:47:40 GMT
I enjoyed this, but came out with nothing more to elaborate on. It's a sort of Rocky with an interview instead of a boxing match.
It's not great. I can't even say it's good, to be honest. Surely there's no substitute for the actual interviews themselves; and so the film would need to do a whole lot more to arrive at the 'behind the scenes' feel that it attempts. We have no real idea why anybody is doing what they're doing, or what is going through their minds; character psychology is nil, and it should be a necessary part of such a character-driven piece. Frost's sudden gear-switch in time for the Watergate session is either implausible or muddled, I can't decide which: were the interviews themselves a happy accident? Was Frost a hack who had one good hour out of the several he was allocated? Or is it just weak storytelling?
Saying that, the performances keep it together.
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Post by arkadyrenko on Feb 10, 2009 20:36:37 GMT
Ronnie "Opie" Howard can kiss my ass, the frakking hack! Only good thinghe ever did in his life was his own daughter Bryce Dallas Howard. And her talent, she didn't get from him!
Frakking Opie can kiss my ass!
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Pherdy
Ghost writer
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Post by Pherdy on Feb 13, 2009 11:12:55 GMT
What I liked about this movie is the fact the writer (Peter Morgan) designed a character for Nixon, rather than making him as accurate as possible. it is nothing short of a caricature, but it's unapologetic, and brilliantly performed by Frank Langella. the little jokes he makes, the money-grabbing attitude, the way he considers the entire procedure a boxing match, a duel where opponents reveal to each other their tactics - as opposed to what normally happens with interviews, when you keep things secret beforehand. the cast was good overall, and the movie kept a nice pace and made an event which I'm sure was much more exciting in its day still exciting to watch for 2 hours. but that's about all this film has to offer. I agree with Capo here. Only good thing he ever did in his life was his own daughter
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Post by arkadyrenko on Feb 21, 2009 13:38:46 GMT
Bryce Dallas Howard is the true masterpiece of Ronnie Howard's life. His movies aren't. I'm sure even he would agree on that.
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Post by arkadyrenko on Feb 23, 2009 12:33:48 GMT
Ron Howard lost, fuck yeah!!!!!
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