Nixon

 

       

            After being 0 for 2 in terms of finding movies to get Trainspotting out of my head, though I can never get certain images out of my head. Granted as great of a movie Trainspotting is and still is, I decided to go back to my brothers list of movies I need to watch, and Nixon was on the list and sure enough, Nixon was on Amazon Prime for free well technically, free considering you have to pay a subscription right. Anyway, Nixon directed by Oliver Stone and Anthony Hopkins in the title role, combined to make one of the most unappreciative biopics about a former President of the United States.

             The non-chronological narrative Nixon's (Anthony Hopkins) personal and professional life, touching on his youth, college years, and political triumphs and failures. Nixon is seen as a child born to austere Quaker parents, as a young attorney wooing his future wife, Pat (Joan Allen), and as an astute but dour politician. After finally becoming president, Nixon is embroiled in the infamous Watergate scandal.

              There are times when watching a bio-pic about certain historic people like Richard Nixon, where it's like when you watch certain films like Frost/Nixon or All the President's Men you feel like you've seen them all I mean hell, while at work I been reminded about the movie Chappaquiddick where Senator Ted Kennedy literally killed a woman (no not like O.J. but close) where he was drunk driving and left the woman to die, I mean sure you can use a what if, but deep down he literally killed a woman and got away with it. And, true for some movies like there's reason as to why there is no historically accurate films is because majority of them with accuracy in the real life event or story, tend to be so, boring or something that you can find on the old TV show Drunk History, where famous celebrities are wasted and telling the story of historical figures or events. But while watching Nixon I began to realize we truly never got to see a more complex side to Nixon and it always brings back to only thing Nixon was ever remembered for, and that's the Watergate Scandal. Moreover, we never or tend to forget that Nixon has done good things for the country by getting rid of the Draft as well as pulling out American troops from Vietnam. Forming the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and more importantly, overseeing the peaceful, large-scale integration of Southern schools so, deep down Nixon did some good things for the world it's just sadly the man went in over his head or a narcissistic a-hole whichever comes first. As great of a direction Oliver Stone did with this movie and there's a ton of elements that he did with the camera were fantastic, but it's Sir Anthony Hopkins performance as Nixon that really brings this film to greatness, in fact Hopkins actually watched a ton of Nixon's speeches to get the feel of the character, as well as met with a ton of people who knew Nixon at the time and they all gave Hopkins pointers on how to portray him. Granted this movie is a three hour long movie so, if you’re feeling compelled to watch the film I would highly recommend watching the film with soda or Celsius energy drink and take a good ten minute breaks between the movie so that way you can rest your mind as well as your ability to get through the movie, either that or you can pause the movie and pick up where you left off the next day, that is if everyone has a Prime account. The film alone got me thinking a lot about the good things Nixon did as well as the bad things he did but there was a lot of complexities that we've never been able to see in terms of movies and television and the sad thing was that he died a year before the film’s release and I truly believe if he was alive he would approve the movie as well as Hopkins performance, despite Hopkins claiming it's not his great performance but I beg to differ, though the man will probably be dead before I ever get the chance to meet him in person. This film alone is for certain an unappreciative movie and I would highly recommend watching Nixon, whether your Republican or Democrat, this film really shows the complexations to Nixon, and more importantly gives you a sort of humanized feel for the former U.S. President along the way.