Vice (2018)

Vice
(2018) – The biography of former Vice President of the United
States, William Cheney. A quiet bureaucrat who became one of the most
powerful men in the world.

Directed
by Adam McKay Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam
Rockwell, Alison Pill

Why
I Liked It: A brilliant cast makes one of the most disliked men of
the last three decades almost likable.

There
is an enormous challenge inherent in this movie. It is trying to make
the center of your movie one of the most controversial and in many
corners, disliked men in recent U.S. politics. Dick Cheney served in
a range of capacities for Republican administrations going back to
the Nixon presidency. White Chief of Staff, Minority Whip in the
House, Secretary of Defense are the highlights on his political CV
prior to George W. Bush selecting him as Vice President in 2000. From
that point on, he became the ultimate eminence grise in American
political history. His aggressive stance on terrorism and entering a
war with Iraq were polarizing.

The
astounding thing is that the cast comes within a hair of pulling the
challenge off. Bale and Rockwell disappear into the roles (as they
always do) as Cheney and Bush. Amy Adams as Cheney’s wife Lynne and
Alison Pill as their daughter Liz are equally perfect in their roles.
The struggle between husband and wife to find a way forward is clear
and evocative. The rest of the cast is just as wonderful (Tyler Perry
as Colin Powell!!) and fills every minute of the movie with wonderful
performances. I was not a fan of the VP’s going into this movie,
and that hasn’t changed after seeing it, but the movie is
compelling at many, many levels.

This
is not a hagiography of Cheney. It shows him warts and all. But he’s
also shown in human form. There’s a strong “tongue in cheek”
feel to the script that makes Cheney’s relentless approach to
anyone or thing in his way more palatable.  At the same time,
the story feels like it wanders. It also takes complex political
ideas and disputes and renders them in a paint by numbers style. But
the performances make up for the shortcomings. Forget everything else
and watch the cast give a master’s class in acting.

Rating
– *** Worth A Look