Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, Eddie Marsan, LisaGay Hamilton, Bill Camp, Lily Rabe
Director: Adam McKay
Release date: 25th January 2019
1963, in Wyoming and a cop pulls over a car that’s driving erratically. The driver is very drunk… Flash forward to 2001 and it’s September. Planes are being flown into the two World Trade Centre buildings and the whole world is in shock. Dick Chaney (Christian Bale) is currently the Vice President of America and an extremely powerful man. Flash backwards again to ‘63 and Dick has won a scholarship in to Yale. It’s not long before he is kicked out. He soon becomes a Republican and gets a job working for Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell) His road to power has begun, and soon he is working for some for the most powerful men in the country.. he does seem to have an ulterior motive.
Vaguely based on a true story, there is a disclaimer at the start of the movie to let the viewer know that it’s what _might_ have happened. There is a narrator called Kurt who tells us the story but his involvement doesn’t become clear until much later in the film.
Christian Bale’s transformation for this movie is staggering. He’s almost unrecognisable from the get-go and if you weren’t told it was him, then you might not guess at all. For anyone watching, that is not really familiar with US politics, then you might just see it as a good story.. for others who are though, this could be seen as a satirical comedy. The wonderful Adam McKay directs this movie and his signature is all over it.
Dick really isn’t painted in a good light at all. He comes across as driven, focused, conniving, ruthless, and manipulative, amongst many other things.. although some might say that he is doing whatever he has to to be at the top, I just found that I really disliked him by the end of the movie. Everything is open to interpretation though, so make of this movie what you will.
A brilliantly satirical movie, most of the cast have had an Oscar nomination for their performances; Christian Bale – Best Actor, Sam Rockwell and Amy Adams – Best Supporting Actor, Adam McKay for Best Director and ultimately, ‘Vice’ is up for Best Picture. This should tell you that this is a movie you need to see.
Overall: 8/10
