A movie based on a play about an interview with a disgraced politician. That's the premise of an entertaining movie? Really?

Hell yes the movie is entertaining. Because it completely succeeded in selling me on the importance of the interview. For Frost, it was a wild gamble for a TV personality whose livelihood and savings teetered on the brink of oblivion. For Nixon it was both a cynical paycheck grab and a chance to shape his legacy, to remind the world of his genuine achievements.

Most importantly, I became enthralled in the actual battle of wits as each man, backed by a team with at least one fanatic (Kevin Bacon's character for Nixon and Sam Rockwell's for Frost) fought for dominance within the strange rules of the taped TV interview. The entire process was fascinating, really.

If you're watching the disc, I highly recommend watching "The Real Interview." It's short and largely made up of interviews with cast and crew and contains only a few relevant snippets from the actual interview, but it's fascinating to compare the movie to the real deal. Langella's Nixon is louder and grumblier than the real thing, but, of course, also more entertaining. Frost actually seemed pretty accurate.