Sunday

Saturday Night at the Movies

Frost/Nixon came in the mail from Netflix a week ago and we did not open the familiar red envelope until last night.

It was a good history lesson and brought back memories of a time we lived through and watched on tv and around the city we live in. In those days I felt so much anger at Richard M. Nixon I could not see him on TV without ranting. Last night I was surprised when the movie did not stir those coals. I guess time does dilute anger, does soften hardened hearts - for the man - not for the crimes.

Actually I was most surprised by how self-serving and shallow I found the portrayal of David Frost. In a phone call scene Frank Langella as Nixon lays out the ways they are alike - how they are both after the same thing - a return to the lime-light. And both will do anything to get there - in this instance Nixon is the prey for Frost's ambition.





Ron Howard does make good films - even though it was not as enjoyable to me as seeing Harry Potter.






So I enjoyed the co-incidence of surfing for a movie to keep me company while I unpacked a few more boxes and found Dave. Dave - a 1993 comedy starring Kevin Kline who stars as a look-alike stand-in for the secretly moribund President. Frank Langella plays the evil Chief of Staff who puts in the imposter rather than lose his power.
The juxtaposition of seeing Langella in the two roles was delicious.