He has some stiff competition, but it’s safe to say that Richard Nixon is one of the most reviled figures of the 20th century. He may have ended the Vietnam War and opened trade talks with China, but he’ll always be the quick-tempered, foul-mouthed boogieman behind Watergate, and the inspiration for one of the best-selling Halloween masks of all time.

Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon is a reminder that Nixon’s fate wasn’t always so certain. Three years after he resigned from the American presidency, Nixon (Frank Langella) had been pardoned by Gerald Ford for any crimes he may have committed. He was also back on the speaking-tour rounds, and optimistic that, with enough time between him and Watergate, he might be able to return to political life.

The film, based on the play by Peter Morgan, is essentially the battle to bring Nixon back down. David Frost (Michael Sheen), a talk-show host with a waning career, is hoping to crack the American market by interviewing the former president. He hires a pair of researchers (Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell) who couldn’t care less about the ratings — they’re out to crucify the man who ruined the presidency. The movie follows Frost’s quest to finance the interviews — filmed over 28 hours, with Nixon receiving a considerable fee — and to find a network that would air them, given Frost’s lack of journalistic experience, but although it focuses on Frost, it’s Langella’s Nixon who makes the movie shine.

There’s no doubt Nixon was a duplicitous politician and a decidedly non-telegenic presence, but he was also an incredibly intelligent man with an oddly charming manner. You don’t get to be president without a bit of gladhanding, after all. Langella’s Nixon is ruthless, yes, but openly so. He knows the game he’s playing, and is confident enough — especially against a relative lightweight like Frost — that he comes across as a cat toying with its prey. With his blend of shrewd strategy and everyman frustration, Langella makes it possible to feel some sympathy for Nixon.

To a large extent, Frost/Nixon feels like an underdog sports movie, but with strictly verbal sparring. We see Frost come from nowhere to challenge the champ. He takes a beating, goes through the requisite training montage and emerges victorious. It’s every bit as intense as a real boxing match, thanks to strong performances and to Howard’s direction.

Howard does make one misstep, though. Most of the film is shot as a historical drama, but it also includes documentary-style interviews with the actors (in character) discussing what it was like to be part of such a legendary interview. It’s an odd choice on Howard’s part, as it only serves to hint that a documentary may have been more informative, but it’s not enough to derail Frost/Nixon’s energy. Given the imminent departure of another much-reviled president, a movie about a disgraced leader getting his comeuppance is sure to be an easy crowd-pleaser.