Vice: Best Picture Review

Synopsis

Vice tells the true story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), Vice President under George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) from 2001-2008. From his not-so-humble beginnings, with two DUIs, to his ascendancy to becoming one of the most powerful Vice Presidents in US history, Vice chronicles the rise to power and the conflicts and consequences associated with it.

Review

Though a biopic, Vice  is not rooted in very much truth. To quote the writers, "[They] did [their] f**king best." Christian Bale gives a very monotone and transformative performance as Dick Cheney, though most of the success of his performance is due to the amazing makeup department. Bale put on some 40-60 pounds, bleached and shaved his hair, and exercised to thicken his neck, somehow. Amy Adams gives a great performance as Lynne Cheney, the stern and loyal wife to Dick. As we've seen in McKay's The Big Short, a film for which he won an Oscar, there is a way in which McKay clears up any topic that might be unknown to viewers. That way is, of course, stopping the story and using either narration or a visual metaphor to explain to the audience what the Unitary Executive Theory is. While this does make the film easier to understand, this way of storytelling often allows for a messy structure. The film is written and directed well, even though some of the humor in the writing is missed.