This is a
movie that brings to mind a few films from Oscar races past. It’s the next film from Adam McKay, who
wrote/directed The Big Short, and I
do see some of that same sensibility here.
I’m also reminded of Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour, in that, in the first trailer, I had no idea it was Christian Bale in
the lead role until they showed his name.
Vice follows Dick Cheney’s life and career up
through the Bush administration. Spurred
on by his then-girlfriend Lynne to get his act together, the alcoholic Cheney,
who’d been kicked out of Yale, cleans himself up and rises in the world in a
big but unassuming way. Beginning as an
intern under Nixon, he moves through several administrations and in and out of
politics before joining George W. Bush’s campaign and redefinining what it
means to be the vice president.
I think many
people, myself included, have a tendency to look at the lamentable state of the
White House right now and recall the past as better than it was. I know my mind has been guilty of going, “Compared
to Trump, Bush really wasn’t…” more than once.
But this movie is a stark reminder of the things that went down during
that presidency. The recount, the bogus
WMDs, the wire-tapping, the torture, and beyond. And besides just recalling what happened
then, the film also highlights ripple effects that carried forward, such as the
shifting sands at the base of the housing crisis and the foundations of ISIS.
I’ll
admit that I hadn’t known as much as Dick Cheney as I should have – Bush became
president when I was in junior high, and though he was still president when I
was old enough to be more engaged, I
didn’t start paying closer attention to politics until later. So, while I had a lot of general knowledge
about the Iraq War and other things that spiraled out of 9/11, I didn’t have
much understanding of some of the intricacies and connections therein.
At times,
the movie has a quasi-documentary feel to it – while it has a definite
point-of-view, it doesn’t expressly say it, preferring to present details in
such a way that encourages you to read between the lines. At the same time, though, it’s very much a
biopic, making characters out of people and crafting a narrative around Cheney’s
life. Then there are McKay’s stylistic
flourishes, some of which lean into fiction – an amusing fakeout in the middle,
representative cutaways (such as a scene where Cheney and Lynne deliver Shakespeare-esque
dialogue in bed while they lay out their motives Macbeth style) – and some of which play up the documentary feel –
old news footage, informative title cards.
Still others have their feet in both worlds – a narrator comments on the
proceedings, but that narrator’s identity is a surprise.
The
result makes for a pretty unique viewing experience. I’m someone who likes the type of creative
devices McKay employs. As with The Big Short, he uses them to try and
convey some complex information in an engaging, cinematic way, and I think he
mostly succeeds. His thesis for the film
comes through loud and clear, and while I think a more traditional biopic about
Cheney probably would’ve worked too, I like the spin McKay puts on this
one. I’m glad to see him recognized by
the Academy for both his direction and his screenplay.
It’s no
surprise to say that Christian Bale is excellent here. He captures Cheney’s demeanor – voice,
carriage, expressions, etc. – and nails the unassuming aspect that makes him
easy to underestimate. He’s of course
nominated for Best Leading Actor, since this is exactly the sort of role the
Oscars adore. The film snagged two more
acting nods, Amy Adams (as Lynne) and Sam Rockwell (as Dubya) in supporting
roles, and while both are certainly good, I’m not sure there’s enough to either
character to make them really stand out.
Additionally, the film features Alison Pill as Cheney’s daughter Mary, Steve
Carell as Henry Kissinger, and cameos from Alfred Molina and Naomi Watts.
Warnings
Violence,
language, sexual references, drinking, and strong thematic elements.
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