The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.
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On the run in the year of 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.
Laurel and Hardy, the world's most famous comedy duo, attempt to reignite their film careers as they embark on what becomes their swan song - a grueling theatre tour of post-war Britain.
Director:
Jon S. Baird
Stars:
John C. Reilly,
Steve Coogan,
Shirley Henderson
A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.
Director:
Peter Farrelly
Stars:
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In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne (Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Weisz) governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail (Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.
The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.
"Whaddaya say?... I want you to be my VP. I want you, you're ma vice." George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell)
And so it goes. In the highly-entertaining and informative docudrama Vice, Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) becomes the most powerful vice president in the history of the US presidency. As writer/director Adam McKay plays it, some humor applies because Bush's childlike persona evokes smiles even in dire circumstances such as the invasion of Iraq.
In its documentary element, Vice is an accurate history of the surprising rise of both Cheney and Bush, but the story is Cheney's. From his drunken early days to his sobering by wife Lynne, Cheney is nothing if not an adaptor with a highly-developed big-picture ambition, a politician who can see the gift that 9/11 gave to those like himself with global ambitions. Bale's impersonation of Cheney is stunning in both physical transformation and personality heft, an imitation that carries the personal stamp of an outsize personality.
In the personal element, Amy Adams's Lynne is just as smart and adaptable as I remember, a force behind her husband in a time when women could gain power mostly through their husbands. Lynne would publish books on American history and weigh in at pillow-talk time with sage reactions to Dick's challenges.
Crisply photographed and edited, McKay's story is immensely aided by an occasional tongue in cheek. Like our current time, if some governmental actions seem absurd, they are. When Vice runs credits midway, our confusion is alleviated when the story shows Cheney accepting an offer to visit the White House to discuss the vice presidency. In other words, his political life is by no means over.
Admittedly, at times the film moves too fast over history, lacking depth other docudramas embrace. The audience might have been better with more interaction between Cheney and Bush. Such good acting, when the chemistry is there, should be expanded:
Dick Cheney: "I believe... we can make this work."
George W. Bush: "Hehehe!"
To teach and delight is a worthwhile motto for any filmmaker. Adam McKay fulfills that promise.
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"Whaddaya say?... I want you to be my VP. I want you, you're ma vice." George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell)
And so it goes. In the highly-entertaining and informative docudrama Vice, Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) becomes the most powerful vice president in the history of the US presidency. As writer/director Adam McKay plays it, some humor applies because Bush's childlike persona evokes smiles even in dire circumstances such as the invasion of Iraq.
In its documentary element, Vice is an accurate history of the surprising rise of both Cheney and Bush, but the story is Cheney's. From his drunken early days to his sobering by wife Lynne, Cheney is nothing if not an adaptor with a highly-developed big-picture ambition, a politician who can see the gift that 9/11 gave to those like himself with global ambitions. Bale's impersonation of Cheney is stunning in both physical transformation and personality heft, an imitation that carries the personal stamp of an outsize personality.
In the personal element, Amy Adams's Lynne is just as smart and adaptable as I remember, a force behind her husband in a time when women could gain power mostly through their husbands. Lynne would publish books on American history and weigh in at pillow-talk time with sage reactions to Dick's challenges.
Crisply photographed and edited, McKay's story is immensely aided by an occasional tongue in cheek. Like our current time, if some governmental actions seem absurd, they are. When Vice runs credits midway, our confusion is alleviated when the story shows Cheney accepting an offer to visit the White House to discuss the vice presidency. In other words, his political life is by no means over.
Admittedly, at times the film moves too fast over history, lacking depth other docudramas embrace. The audience might have been better with more interaction between Cheney and Bush. Such good acting, when the chemistry is there, should be expanded:
Dick Cheney: "I believe... we can make this work." George W. Bush: "Hehehe!"
To teach and delight is a worthwhile motto for any filmmaker. Adam McKay fulfills that promise.