Vice

Vice

Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell

Directed by Adam McKay

The Story:
Chronicling the lengthy political life of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), Vice travels from Cheney's internship in the White House under Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell) as he slowly rose the ranks to become the Vice President under George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell).  Throughout his journey, his intelligent wife Lynne (Amy Adams) stayed by his side, as the two ruthlessly dominated the political landscape from the shadows, shaping the government the way it is today.

The Synopsis:
Sometimes the lines between satire and reality become blurred, where you can't really tell what is real and what isn't, because a person's life is so outlandish and mysterious that you can't differentiate between fact and fiction.  Such is the man that is Dick Cheney, the most mysterious Vice President the United States has ever had.  He's completely cut off from the world, rarely does interviews, and keeps a very stiff upper lip.  To many, this serves as the most tantalizing thing, ironically in trying to hide himself from the world, he made himself a bigger target because of it.  "Vice" - directed by "The Big Short" director Adam McKay - starts off with an information placard that basically says this is a true story, or as true as it could be since it's about the most mysterious man in America.  From the onset, we've gained an understanding that this isn't an entirely accurate and true biopic, but rather a biting, satirical look at a man who ruthlessly has controlled politics in America since the 70s.

Dick Cheney's story - at least the one told here - is fascinating in that he is an absolute political genius.  He knew how to work the room even as he himself turns into a ghost, a man that not many people know, but who became the most powerful Vice President ever.  From his work under Donald Rumsfeld to his own bid at Congress to eventual Vice President, there's never a moment where Cheney isn't at least two steps ahead of everyone else, including the President who chose him to run next to him, portraying George W. Bush as a daddy's boy who was in way over his head.

Unlike another political film this year - "The Front Runner" - "Vice" managed to keep my attention wholeheartedly, thanks mostly to the combination of satirical humor and the compelling performances of all the actors, which will all probably receive notice at this year's Academy Awards (the film already has earned the most Golden Globe nominations for film this year).  The story is told through the eyes of a common man named Kurt (Jesse Plemons), whose connection to Cheney we don't see until near the end.  We hear about his rise to power, and how he managed to balance his family life with politics, and how he became a driving force for changing the political landscape forever.

Ruling the film is Christian Bale who, like Gary Oldman in last year's "Darkest Hour," totally transforms into Cheney.  He's completely unrecognizable in his later years, as the makeup design on the man is top notch (and also should be recognized by the Academy).  Bale learned Cheney's mannerisms down to a T, from his head turns to his eye squints and everything in between, truly becoming the mysterious man inside and out.  It's a tour-de-force performance by Bale, and easily his best work yet.

Equally commanding is Amy Adams, who plays Cheney's wife Lynne.  Adams as well transforms into the strong, steely woman of resolve who doesn't settle for playing second fiddle to her husband, but instead takes the reigns when necessary and sometimes even outshines her husband in her own fierce determination.

Likewise supporting players Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell shine as Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush respectively, and both men easily steal each scene they're in.  From Rumsfeld's sly humor to Bush's nearly complete incompetence, McKay portrays both men as more than what you'd see of them on the news, making them more multi-dimensional and entertaining.

The film manages to become extremely self-aware, often breaking the fourth wall and even including a gag ending in the middle of the film where the credits begin to roll, and you wonder what the heck is going on.  Already establishing itself as not a typical biopic, the film doesn't shy away from the mysterious moments between the two Cheneys - most notably a hilarious scene between Bale and Adams where they're talking about Dick becoming Vice President.  The narrator says he has no idea what was going through either of their minds, and it might as well have been Shakespeare - and then both actors start giving Shakespearean soliloquies an a fascinating scene of back-biting humor.  That's also what sets this film apart from other political films - it doesn't take itself seriously at all.  Despite the real life consequences Cheney had in the world, McKay doesn't shy away from turning seriously somber moments to moments of dark humor, playing for laughs the divisive political climate that's churning through America today.

While it's extremely biased and one-sided, the film never sets out to be anything truly factual, although as they say, there's always a hint of fact in humor.  Humor allows us to lower our guard, and then the truth hits us out of left field, and leaves a more indelible mark than being a pure, bare-bones biopic.  This is genius filmmaking, and one that easily creates its own tension in a way it knowingly wanted to do.

The Summary:
With commanding, solid performances by Christian Bale and Amy Adams, "Vice" serves as a satirical, biting biopic of the most powerful Vice President in history, and shows that truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction - if the story was true at all.

The Score: A+