The material is inherently compelling, so really all Ron Howard had to do was not mess it up, so credit him for doing the right thing by casting Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, the stars of the original London stage production, as the shallow British talk show host and the disgraced ex-President and simply allowing them to do their thing. Even if you know how it all turns out, the rhetorical and psychological showdown between these two not entirely disimilar men is quite entertaining and provides some genuine insight into the relationship between television and politics. (Hollywood Jewel 16, Waco, TX)