Frost/Nixon (15)

The action is ramped up from the stage play on which the movie is based by director Ron Howard (Apollo 13) who turns the very talky concept into a real thriller by constantly zooming his camera in for extreme close ups on the two under-pressure performers.

They're under pressure because Frost has bankrupted himself setting up the project that everyone believes he's too light weight to pull off and Nixon is desperate to exonerate himself and restart his political career.

Only one can win.

What unfolds is a real acting tour de force as Frank Langella (a veteran character actor, Oscar nominated for the role) and Welsh wunderkind Sheen inhabit their real life roles so completely.

Each tick and squirm, sweat, blink, wobble and frown is caught by an unflinching camera in an echo of what the film is really about - the power of TV to capture, to crystalise, and to indict.

Both actors are completely convincing as the seemingly assured but secretly desperate and self doubting social climbers. My only gripe is that Langella makes Nixon almost too sympathetic. I don't want to feel sorry for him!

Sheen is even better as Frost, nailing the distinctive accent while at the same time revealing a deeply flawed egotist working at the edge of his abilities, or possibly beyond them...

The two leads are ably supported by Sam Rockwell and Oliver Platt as Frost's doubting researchers, and Kevin Bacon puts in a stern performance as Nixon's caring but tough Chief of Staff Jack Brennan. The only female role (Rebecca Hall as Frost's current bit of skirt) is a bit of a sop and doesn't seem to serve much of a point, apart from to witness him cracking up under the pressure.

One might expect a film about one man grilling another for a political TV program to be a bit dull but Frost/Nixon manages to stay just the right side of entertainment rather than lecture by showing the personal side of the debate, and what the two combatants stand to lose.

With lesser actors it wouldn't work but taking the original Frost/Nixon from the stage play has paid off for Hollywood and then some.