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Frost/Nixon
Like TV presenter David Frost himself, Morgan’s 2006 docu-play invites underestimation. Three decades later, these interviews with the disgraced ex-President may retain some historical interest, but are they really enough to sustain a play? Let me make this perfectly clear: They are. Morgan never makes the argument explicitly, but he’s clearly chosen an event that neatly anticipates some of our own moment’s more unnerving trends. There’s the systematic blurring of lines among journalism, politics and entertainment, as Frost methodically negotiates his contract with Nixon among nightclub outings with pop stars. And there’s Nixon himself, combining in one sweatily uncomfortable package Dick Cheney’s contempt for democracy, Rod Blagojevich’s outrageous disregard for the law, and the radioactive resentment that animates Sarah Palin.
On top of its complex relation to the present, Frost/Nixon also offers a completely compelling confrontation between two men at the top of their game: It’s a little surprising that Ron Howard filmed the play, because it’s tailor-made for Michael Mann. Contey’s production is a stunner, stylish and hard-hitting. It’s driven by two ferocious performances at its center. As Frost, Carter presents an unflappable exterior, concealing a tenaciously competitive spirit. Ruthless, brilliant and unerringly self-destructive, Nixon is the role of a career, and Hamilton delivers; replicating the famous slouch and jowly articulation, his performance piles feint upon feint, only occasionally revealing the vicious and wounded animal beneath.
