Nixon is Oliver Stone's presentation of the life and presidency of Richard Nixon. Of course, being an Oliver Stone film, events need to be taken with a grain of salt; there's even a disclaimer before the movie that suggests as much. The film begins in 1973 as Nixon (played by Anthony Hopkins) listens to a series of taped conversations that he knows will likely end his tenure as the 37th President of the United States. From there it goes through his life, though not in chronological order. Early on, the movie is hard to follow and feels like a series of events rather than one coherent movie. Once things return to the "present", it quickly transforms into an entertaining film about a troubled man.
The odd thing about Nixon is that despite its length, it feels like an incomplete movie. Whether a by-product of good filmmaking or just the complexity in telling the whole story of someone's life - especially someone as complicated as Nixon - it seems like some sequences need just a little something extra. Conscious effort was made to make the film as authentic as possible, at times going so far as to digitally place Hopkins's character into real news footage. I'm a big visual effects person, so things like this were what really helped to keep my attention and I would have liked more of it. The one thing the film doesn't need more of is dialogue. Some scenes feature way too many words, which tends to drag down the pacing and serve as a simple reminder that you're watching a movie that is nearly four hours long.
If you're in the mood for more talking, Nixon includes two commentary tracks from Oliver Stone. Even with two to choose from, I didn't like either of the tracks. They're interesting, but feel completely random - like you're watching the movie with a talkative uncle who has to comment on everything and has a horrible sense of timing. The deleted scenes (many of which have been added back into the movie) are introduced by Oliver Stone. He is also featured in an hour long episode of The Charlie Rose Show, which is a better alternative to the commentary if you want some background info. If it isn't apparent already, the man loves to talk.
The final extra is "Beyond Nixon". Rather than presenting the life of Nixon, it is instead a reflection of his life by White House insiders and other political commentators.
Overall, Nixon is a great film. It suffers from numerous pacing flaws and gets a little too wordy, but the performances and generally interesting situations make it an interesting film. While probably not good enough for a purchase, it is a definite rental.
