What do David Frost and Tony Blair have in common?

Last night The Times London Film Festival opened with a superb new film - Frost/Nixon.

It is based, of course, on the story of David Frost's interviews with the ex-President. The task for the main actors (Frank Langella plays Nixon and Michael Sheen playes Frost) is to make their characters look and sound like their very famous real counterparts, without lapsing into mere impressions.

They succeed triumphantly.

On the way home from the showing I was reflecting on Michael Sheen's extraordinary facility. He was a brilliant Tony Blair in The Queen and has now repeated the difficult trick in Frost/Nixon.

And then it struck me. Aren't David Frost and Tony Blair in a certain way rather similar?

I am not saying this to detract at all from Sheen's performances, which have been awesome. It is simply that having the roles played by the same actor made me think about the similarities.

As did the brilliant bit of dialogue towards the end of the film when Nixon suggests Frost would have been a better politician and he a better interviewer.

Frost is buoyed up by an enjoyment of life, by boundless self-confidence and by a self-conscious enjoyment of his own fame and the company of the rich and famous. Blair has all that religious stuff going on, but in other ways his self-assurance and pragmatism resembles the bouncily successful Frost. As does the way other people's foibles and insecurities leave him baffled.

Comments

[Nick Anstead]

Maybe there are similiarities. But I don't think anyone could argue that about Sheen's next role - Brian Clough.

[Arthur]

Do you think Frost could get Blair to apologise for lying to us over Iraq? A difficult one, because unlike Nixon, Blair is a genuine sociopath and narcissist. Still, it would make for an interesting interview.

[Gordon]

Finkelstein, I rate your sports analysis and I rate your comments. Intersting and insightful. Keep 'em coming. I'm off to see this film, based on your review. Thank you.

[Nobby Clark]

They have the same number of syllables in their names?

[andy]

i helped him cheat