The Quiet Puppet Master

It is perhaps inevitable that, in our current fractured political landscape, a film like ‘Vice’ would emerge as cautionary political satire to further widen the divide.  Whether or not you like this unauthorized and unofficial biopic (in a manner of speaking) of Dick Cheney, former vice-president under the George W. Bush administration, will likely depend on your political leanings, but “preaching to the choir” has never stopped film makers before, be it Michael Moore or Oliver Stone on the left or Dinesh D'Souza and Clint Eastwood on the right.

 

Directed by Adam McKay (‘Anchorman,’ ‘The Other Guys,’ ‘The Big Short’), ‘Vice’ – as you’re no doubt aware – does not portray Cheney in a particularly favorable light.  Regardless, it does provide an interesting glimpse at how a mediocre politician of humble beginnings can rise to the top (or near it) in Washington.  We see how Cheney was a reluctant politician who wanted to lead a normal unassuming life, but his ambitious and ruthless wife (played by Amy Adams) would have none of that and endlessly pushed him to realize all that he can be and more.  The moral is that behind every great man is a great woman, because the great woman can never be a man.

 

Like McKay's ‘The Big Short,’ ‘Vice’ is a drama-comedy and pseudo-documentary rolled up in one, with quite a few self-referential wink-at-the-camera fourth wall-breaking moments.  Christian Bale was unrecognizable in the role of the soft-spoken Cheney, delivering a nuanced performance to further add to his list of varied roles.  Amy Adams was equally fine as his puppet-master (I mean, beloved wife) Lynne Cheney.  In fact, ‘Vice’ boasts a cast of talented actors and actresses including Steve Carell as his mentor Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell as “Hot Damn!” George W. Bush, Madea’s Tyler Perry as General Colin Powell (the resemblance is there) and Alison Pill as his daughter Mary Cheney, whom – despite his stance on gay marriage – he has a soft spot for despite her being gay.  If you can stomach the not-so-subtle message in ‘Vice’ (or even welcome it), it’s worth a watch.

Grade: B+