Reviews: Frost/Nixon & Day the Earth Stood Still

Talking Points

It seems that this year, a very popular thing to do in a politically motivated time is to make politically motivated movies. Last year, it was about commenting on more recent times and how we should deal with the situation effectively for the future. If anyone can remember In the Valley of Elah, Rendition or Lions for Lambs, then you'll understand how enormously futile that effort was. Now, it seems as if we have to take a step backward to look at the past which helps to understand our future. Oliver Stone provided one very good example with W., and now Ron Howard throws in his hat with this film, which features a well acted cast that does its part to gloss over many faults.

Based on popular Tony winning play, which is also taken from real life events, the story finds British talk show host David Frost (Michael Sheen) showcasing his high life as an entertainment sensation in Australia. It's the mid-seventies, and US President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) has just resigned. Frost feels the best show he can make is a series of interviews with the disgraced former president. Nixon is looking for a chance to redeem himself. Frost once to bring justice for the American people. Their interviews over several days try to find a winner.

Both Sheen and Langella had these same roles on the stage, and while neither of them really look like their historical counterparts, they've each had enough practice to get them the best they can be. Sheen, most notable from The Queen, has a lot of charm and sophistication and every scene of his feels authentic. Langella has a fine line to walk, as falling into an SNL style impersonation is easy with Nixon. However, he doesn't put so much into Nixon's jowles, and instead does his best to disappear within the character. Langella has always been a great actor, and its nice to see him excel in such a role and get as much recognition.

There's a lot of depth that can be discovered in the characters of Frost and Nixon, but that complexity really isn't shown in the rest of the cast. Not that other characters such as Sam Rockwell, Matthew Macfadyen, and Oliver Platt as the other members of Frost's research team, or Kevin Bacon as Nixon's right hand man, aren't acted to perfection. It is only that their character's personalities don't go beyond the cookie-cutter stereotypes, and at the end of the day they don't really achieve much.

Howard has a difficult task trying to balance the intimate nature in a stage setting and the broadening scope of a film. Most of the time, he strikes that balance. Other times it showcases the difficult transition, such as when Nixon is giving a monologue over the phone to Frost. It's easy to imagine that scene being very impactful on stage, but on film it feels bloated and tiresome. Howard does well, but his efforts aren't really anything to take particular notice of.

Peter Morgan, who adapted his own play, managed to blur the lines between fact and fiction very well with his Oscar nominated screenplay to The Queen. Here, it feels Morgan doesn't quite know what to do with his own material in that transition, and much of the over the top qualities needed for the stage come off as too strong on film. The boxing analogy is one used very often for this premise, as each man has their own "corner guys" they go to in order to get ready for the next round. After a while, however, it gets a little tiresome and the metaphor wears off. Morgan is a good writer, but his material had more deep quality with his previous film effort it seemed.

After viewing the film, one really gets the sense that you'd like to go back and watch the original interviews conducted by the real men. In some way, that might be a bad thing because the film can feel empty at times that leaves you wanting more. Still, the leads are very good and the direction knows its place, even if the script doesn't go quite as far. I hope Langella gets a nomination, if only because he should have had one a long time ago. *** / ****; GRADE: B


An Inconvenient Invasion

It's a difficult thing trying to review a movie like this. For one thing, it is nearly impossible for me to view it objectively. I've seen the original 1951 sci-fi classic from Robert Wise, and it was a great film. Not only was it great, but it had a great message that used the science fiction element more so as a backdrop. It was not your run of the mill alien movie. It was so much more. This tedious remake is nothing more than the formulaic alien film, which diminishes the memory of a classic and provide a migraine inducing ride.

After a ball of green light lands in Manhattan, a group of scientists that include Jennifer Connelly gather around at first thinking that its a meteor. After they clearly discover its not, what emerges is a tall mechanical alien that the government names Gort (damn acronyms) and an alien named Klaatu (Keanu Reeves). Klaatu informs Connelly's scientist, Helen, that the rate at which humans have polluted the Earth have turned catastrophic, and in order to save it, he needs to gather up all the animals he can and destroy the human race altogether. It is up to Helen and her stepson Jacob (Jaden Smith) to try and convince Klaatu otherwise.

In the opening titles, the film references the screenplay by Edmund H. North but not its own basis of the short story "Farewell to the Mater" by Harry Bates. David Scarpa's script is a grand insult to the memory of that original film. The anti-war message at the end of the first film made sense given that Klaatu didn't want to have humans spread their destructive behavior to other planets, but it also made it clear that other worlds didn't care if we ruined our own planet. In the updated environmentalist approach, Klaatu's plight really doesn't make sense and then forces other sections to become peppered with stale dialogue and conventional turns.

Scott Derrickson is not a director with great credentials (Hellraiser: Inferno, The Exorcism of Emily Rose), and he overloads the film with too many action pieces that were completely unnecessary in the original. The visual effect scenes do look good, and there are times when the newly designed Gort looks very fierce and compelling. Still, it only serves as a reminder that when the story fails, needless action must try to save the day, and Derrickson's direction with those scenes does not feel like it's from someone who has respect for his source material, often times making some scenes unintentionally laughable and taking a page from the Michael Bay textbook of how to blatantly use product placement.

To say that Keanu Reeves is a bad actor is such a tiresome thing to say, that I almost hesitate to mention it. But his Klaatu is so one note that his lack of personality is heartbreaking. Connelly and Smith have the little chemistry that is necessary for the film to succeed halfway, but other stock characters such as the secluded professor (John Cleese), the smug government official (Kathy Bates) and the friendly defying scientist (Mad Men's John Hamm).

As a science fiction/action movie that exists within its own world, the movie has faults but isn't totally awful. In fact, there are many times when it's decent. However, the inevitable comparison to the original film hurts every bit of integrity this movie has. Of course, I encourage all to see the original film and discover why it retains its impact almost sixty years later. For this film, I would call Gort on it, and not once utter "klaatu birada nikto." If you know what that means, then I commend you. If you don't, then skip this trash and find out. *1/2 / ****; GRADE: D+