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Politically Indirect

Now is the perfect time for "Frost/Nixon." We've just had eight years of a smarmy buffoon in the White House, not unlike Tricky Dick himself, who relentlessly cheered a nonsense war and helplessly waved at the stock market as it slid down the sewer. While Oliver Stone's "W." attempts to show the naive, childlike nature of George W. Bush -- he has lots of daddy issues, you see -- Ron Howard's "Frost/Nixon" explores just how low Richard Nixon can go. The answer? Like the subprime crisis, there is no visible bottom.
 
"Frost/Nixon" is an effective political thriller that features verbal dueling between a fallen president and a "British talk show host with something of a playboy reputation." Three years after Nixon (Frank Langella) disgraced himself with Watergate in 1974, and was then unfairly pardoned by Gerald Ford, the public waited for a hint of remorse from the resigned commander-in-chief; it never came.
 
Anxious to clear the air and take his name off the nationwide "most-hated" list, Nixon agreed to a three-part interview with David Frost (Michael Sheen), a goofy, overseas T.V. host, for $600,000, figuring it would be an easy way to manipulate the masses and dredge up sympathy. Little did he know that Frost, headed for his own career swamp, was determined to yank out the acknowledgement -- or better yet, apology -- that the people so badly craved. Let the games begin.
 
Based on the play by Peter Morgan ("The Queen"), who also adapted it for the big screen, "Frost/Nixon" is everything a political feature should be: hard-hitting, deep-digging and nail-biting. Since it's a Ron Howard film, easily his best since 2001's "A Beautiful Mind," rest assured there's nothing that will fly over the heads of the politically clueless. This is in part because Morgan's script is both intelligent and accessible, with hearty portions of humor and sass; it should help solidify his place as one of the few well-known, go-to screenwriters. (Move over, Charlie Kaufman.)

Above all, "Frost/Nixon" is a character piece fueled by stage veterans Langella and Sheen, who give each other a verbal pounding that channels the intensity of Rocky vs. Apollo. Langella plays Nixon as both conniving and arrogant, with a sort of Sean Connery growl, while Sheen gives Frost a more deer-in-headlights "underdog" touch. The mega-talented actors don't need any help dialing up the tension, but they're aided by a fierce supporting cast that includes Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell.

Although "Frost/Nixon" is a dramatized account of a true story, which takes a fair amount of liberties, it's as relevant now as ever. When people in charge -- either of the country or big corporations or anything else -- take advantage of the little guy, there should be a price to pay. In reality, that doesn't always happen, but at least retribution can be served via celluloid in powerful movies like "Frost/Nixon."