The Blu-ray Disc
Frost/Nixon is presented in 1080p high definition with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. There are a few problems visually, but overall, this is a great presentation thanks to detailed production design and an interesting color palette. There are two vastly different kind of shots in this film – one being those used in the actual narrative of the film, and the other in the faux-documentary shots that feature retrospective talking heads with some of the characters. The latter are permeated with grain by design, and have had nearly all of the color sucked out, leaving an image that looks rather flat. The distinction between these shots and the narrative shots is more visually jarring than I remember seeing in the theater.
The rest of the film looks great, though, thanks mostly to an incredibly saturated color palette that looks like it’s been marinating in the time period-specific aura of the ‘70s ever since then. A nearly ubiquitous mustard yellow color seems to be a part of nearly every scene, and along with reds and blues, is deep and rich. Scenes set at Nixon’s San Clemente retreat are especially gorgeous, with the blue and white of the frothy ocean really popping out.
Elsewhere, picture sharpness is nearly always strong, although there did appear to be some traces of ghosting in the later interview scenes. Black levels and skin tones are consistent throughout.
The audio is presented in Dolby DTS-HD, and it’s a heavily dialogue-driven mix, with the great majority of the burden falling on the front channel. The unobtrusive score sounds crisp and clear, and some light ambient sound is present in a few scenes.
Special Features
Other than the 30 minutes of fairly uninteresting deleted scenes, all of the special features are presented in high def. The making-of doc is pretty much a snore, but there are some interesting tidbits in the other featurettes, one of which shows a few brief clips of the real interviews as compared with the film, and another which chronicles the filmmakers using some of the real locations depicted in the film. There’s also a short look at the Nixon Library and a feature commentary by Howard.
Being a Universal release, this Blu-ray also comes with the pointless U-Control feature that allows you to watch most of the extras in picture-in-picture while the film plays.
The Bottom Line
Frost/Nixon avoids any potential dull moments to deliver a well-crafted story with striking performances. It’s also a successful period piece that looks great in high definition, making the Blu-ray an excellent choice.
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