Any comments about this film should be prefaced by a simple, undeniable fact: Despite the genius and talent of Robert Altman, this film succeeds solely on the shoulders of Philip Baker Hall. Sure, he looks and sounds absolutely nothing like Richard Nixon, but any discerning viewer quickly realizes that it doesn't matter. Hall embodies the role, inhabiting every paranoid quirk and arrogant mannerism of our 36th president; and as the film's only star, it's a 90-minute testament to his skill and abilities. (In my opinion, Hall is the most underrated actor in Hollywood today, by far.) With that said, I would much rather see "Secret Honor" as a play, which is how it was originally written. This doesn't mean that Altman's adaptation is bad; on the contrary, it's one of the finest pieces of cinema I've seen in some time, and definitely one of Altman's best. But the director's constant focus on props takes away from any emotional investment we're supposed to feel. Still, I give this 9 stars out of 10--I highly recommend it to anyone interested in different forms of film-making.
PS: Anyone who claims this film is politically misguided missed the point entirely--it's not meant to be a political observation or satire, but only a way of understanding. Nixon left us with so many questions and so few answers, this so far is our only way of trying to comprehend...
PS: Anyone who claims this film is politically misguided missed the point entirely--it's not meant to be a political observation or satire, but only a way of understanding. Nixon left us with so many questions and so few answers, this so far is our only way of trying to comprehend...