If I had to make a quick list of the ten best performances on film, Philip Baker Hall’s on-the-edge portrayal of Richard Nixon would immediately come to mind. His Nixon is half-man, half-beast—snarling, spitting, growling, and cursing his way through a tortured rationalization for treason. To see this live in its original 150-minute stage form must have been phenomenal. Its power is changed yet enhanced by Robert Altman’s fly-on-the-wall direction.
by Matt Bailey | Source: The Criterion Collection DVD
25 Jan 2005 10:50 AM | Submit Comment