Frost/Nixon: Talking Heads Are Rarely This Good …

23/08/2012 22:58

Do you remember me saying, a while ago, now, that there seemed to be a rule — for certain kinds of horror or thriller movie — that says Keep ’em isolated, it’ll scare ’em senseless … ?

Well, I did.

And I hate to admit it, I think I’ve ALSO come across something else, here, too.

Sometimes … ?

Riveting drama is just two people talking.

At least, Silence of the Lambs famously showed us that.

As did the movie I’ve just caught, tonight: the 2008 film, Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon … 

‹‹·››

24/08/2012 21:53

Based on the play of the same name, Frost/Nixon tells the story of the by now famous series of interviews of disgraced former US president, Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) by David Frost (Michael Sheen): including Frost’s efforts to both fund — and sell — the interviews to US networks.

And Nixon’s efforts to throw his interviewer off track: something that’s not always as successful as he wants.

Oh … Just to show you how accurate that was … 

You can tell this is going to end badly, can’t you … ?

‹‹·››

Now, I have to admit, I’ve not seen Michael Sheen in his breakout role — as Tony Blairº in The Deal — but have always been impressed by him in those appearances of of his I have caught*.

Personally, though, I thought the real scene stealer was Frank Langella as Nixon: incredible stuff!

Either way, I am seriously going to suggest you catch this film, even if you — like me — aren’t as au fait with the Watergate Scandal, the original play, or the original interviews as you could be.

You’ll catch a bloody good drama … that boils down to two people talking …

Frost/Nixon★★★★

*        Do I mention The Doctor’s Wife, here … ?   Sheen voiced House … 

º        Although I don’t know if it’s as good as John Culshaw’s … 

Unthinkable: Blood, Guts and Moral Conundrums

You know it always amazes me, just how strange Movie Nights can go, sometimes …

Well …

Not strange, per se, just …

Unseasonable …

Yes, unseasonable, that’s the word.

After all, this time last year … ? We’d caught the extremely Christmassy, Jimmy Stewart film, It’s A Wonderful Life.

This years Xmas flick … ?

Was the very different 2010 film, Unthinkable.

And to be frank, I don’t think you could imagine two more different films, you really couldn’t.

Unthinkable sees Carrie Anne Moss playing FBI Agent Helen Brody, an agent who’s job chasing terrorists is suddenly intensified, when her team are warned away from Henry ‘H’ Humphries — played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Humphries turns out to be a black-ops interrogator for the CIA: one who Brody initially mets when her team of investigators suspect him to be a terrorist.

They find this out … when their boss co-opts them into the interrogation of Steven Younger — played by Michæl Sheen — an ex US Army soldier who’s converted to an extremist form of Islam.

And planted three bombs in three major US cities.

Bombs that are set to go off with in the next 72 hours.

Which is where the fun* really starts …

«•»

Hmmm …

Now, I’ll happily admit that Unthinkable isn’t necessarily the best film I’ve since.

But it is a well crafted little suspense thriller, that’s well worth checking out.

And one that begs the a question of how far we — as individuals — would go to protect our countries … ?

There’s a rather nasty scene where Jackson’s character — having happily confessed he’s not the nicest piece of work in the box — takes the Michæl Sheen’s character’s two children and shows every intention of torturing them to force Younger to name the cities where the bombs are.

Is stopped.

And on explaining his reasoning for believing there’s a fourth bomb.

His boss — along with Agent Brody — both order him back to the torture chamber, to start torturing the kids for real.

I forget the exact line he uses, but it’s something along the lines of …

“You say I’m the bad guy?”

Food for thought, that …

* And games. And water-boarding. And whippings, beatings, punchings and stuff with dental drills.