Showdown: best picture of the year: 'Frost/Nixon'

By John Kidde

As the best drama nominated in the Academy Awards, the dialogue, character and direction in "Frost/Nixon" distinguish it from the rest.

The script, written by Peter Morgan, is taut and provides legitimate suspense to a topic that sounds about as much fun as a vasectomy. Morgan effectively balances fact and fiction to heighten the drama and reveal the inner-most parts of President Richard Nixon.

Frank Lengella delivers one of the best performances of the year. He is menacing and charismatic, which are qualities that none of the leads in the other nominated films have. He carries the film with his portrayal. He does not try to mimic Nixon's voice. Instead he inhabits his skin and embodies him by his mannerisms, gait and carriage.

Is a single performance alone enough to lift this film to best picture status? Simply put, yes. "Gladiator," "Patton," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Schindler's List" all have standout individual performances from their lead actors and won best picture. While the leads in "Schindler" and "Lawrence" failed to win best actor, they took best picture regardless.

These films, like "Frost/Nixon," are well-crafted at the technical level. Ron Howard directs this film with such skill that it is impossible to ignore what he has created. The camera moves effortlessly through scenes and emphasizes the drama between the two leads.

The film does not drag like "Benjamin Button," nor does it try and make me feel sorry for the villain and fail, like "The Reader." Instead, it humanizes Nixon's actions to show how complicated he is as a human being.

I was not drowned in politics to the extent that I stopped caring about the protagonist, like I was in "Milk." It is not a popular crowd-pleaser like "Slumdog Millionaire," but those that have seen it are pleased that they did.

"Frost/Nixon" is rich in subtext and a return to old-Hollywood filmmaking, the perfect formula for an Oscar win.

John Kidde is a senior communication major.