Vice (2018, R)

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.