I went into this film with no idea what to expect and left the film, not too sure what I saw. This film had Brad Pitt and Will Ferrell associated with the film as producers, of what has been described as a comedy-drama, but comedy is the last thing on this film's mind. Unless you are going to look at the 10 minutes or so of tongue-in-cheek, "self-deprecating" humour, and determine that it is enough to warrant being in the comedy genre, I would simply refer to it as a political drama.
Vice is of course about former Vice President Dick Cheney, how he rose to that position, and what he did while he was there. Displayed in a similar fashion to The Big Short, Vice takes the viewer through real events providing constant commentary and narration throughout. In a feat of show AND tell, Adam McKay ensures that everybody knows exactly what is going on, whether you focus on the narration, dialogue, or acting.
Now, this is an interesting biographical film to be given a theatrical release because of the biased nature of it. Despite being more of Socialist Democrat myself, and disagreeing with the stances of most American Republicans, even I can see that while Vice attempts to show both sides of the equation, it is firmly anti-republican, and portrays much of the film's events with an intensity that seethes with hatred and animosity.
The political nature of the film alone would serve to make this film polarizing to the viewers, but the excessive nature makes Vice come across as a $60 million dollar attack on Dick Cheney. It leaves you feeling uncomfortable, by design.
The film starts off during the 9/11 attacks and jumps back to Cheney's youth, skipping from one event to the next, with side scenes to explain some of the more complicated elements of the narrative. Using more visual interpretations and metaphors to explain things going on behind the scenes, both add and detract from the overall aim of the film, depending on how well it vibes with you. There is a brilliant restaurant scene that got a few laughs, yet the cinema was decidedly silent when Bale and Adams spent five minutes reciting a Shakespearean soliloquy, as an attempt to try and show what Cheney may have been thinking.
The skipping, flashbacks, and tangents in the film, do make it a little annoying to follow, with several storylines going on at once. There are several occasions where the narrator explicitly says "we'll come back to this later".
Despite a slow, complicated timeline, the film is incredibly interesting, showcasing exact examples of how the loopholes in the United States law can allow certain actions to bypass the usual judicial process, and showing the power of big corporations, versus the will of the people. How easily the system was manipulated, and without anyone questioning it, is quite concerning, and it causes the viewer to contemplate whether such things are happening in our own country. Many people allow politicians to do their thing despite everyone knowing that "you can't trust a politician", and "all politicians are liars". but to actually see how Dick Cheney was able to affect such things as international relations in the Middle East...it was an eye-opener.
As far as the casting went, Christian Bale was brilliant. Gaining the weight so that he didn't have to wear a "fat" suit, he put all his effort into the role, putting particular emphasis into Cheney's style of speech and mannerisms, down to the use of hands and licking lips. Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Carell were also convincing in their roles, though none were even close to Bale's performance.
Vice constantly broke the 4th wall and mostly focused on the negative aspects of Cheney's character. The level of manipulation in the political system was shocking, and you leave the cinema feeling uncomfortable about the powers that the quiet, thinking person may hold.
Incredibly biased, and they are aware of it, but to paraphrase what was said in the opening still; considering the secretive nature of the man, they did their f**king best.
Vice is of course about former Vice President Dick Cheney, how he rose to that position, and what he did while he was there. Displayed in a similar fashion to The Big Short, Vice takes the viewer through real events providing constant commentary and narration throughout. In a feat of show AND tell, Adam McKay ensures that everybody knows exactly what is going on, whether you focus on the narration, dialogue, or acting.
Now, this is an interesting biographical film to be given a theatrical release because of the biased nature of it. Despite being more of Socialist Democrat myself, and disagreeing with the stances of most American Republicans, even I can see that while Vice attempts to show both sides of the equation, it is firmly anti-republican, and portrays much of the film's events with an intensity that seethes with hatred and animosity.
The political nature of the film alone would serve to make this film polarizing to the viewers, but the excessive nature makes Vice come across as a $60 million dollar attack on Dick Cheney. It leaves you feeling uncomfortable, by design.
The film starts off during the 9/11 attacks and jumps back to Cheney's youth, skipping from one event to the next, with side scenes to explain some of the more complicated elements of the narrative. Using more visual interpretations and metaphors to explain things going on behind the scenes, both add and detract from the overall aim of the film, depending on how well it vibes with you. There is a brilliant restaurant scene that got a few laughs, yet the cinema was decidedly silent when Bale and Adams spent five minutes reciting a Shakespearean soliloquy, as an attempt to try and show what Cheney may have been thinking.
The skipping, flashbacks, and tangents in the film, do make it a little annoying to follow, with several storylines going on at once. There are several occasions where the narrator explicitly says "we'll come back to this later".
Despite a slow, complicated timeline, the film is incredibly interesting, showcasing exact examples of how the loopholes in the United States law can allow certain actions to bypass the usual judicial process, and showing the power of big corporations, versus the will of the people. How easily the system was manipulated, and without anyone questioning it, is quite concerning, and it causes the viewer to contemplate whether such things are happening in our own country. Many people allow politicians to do their thing despite everyone knowing that "you can't trust a politician", and "all politicians are liars". but to actually see how Dick Cheney was able to affect such things as international relations in the Middle East...it was an eye-opener.
As far as the casting went, Christian Bale was brilliant. Gaining the weight so that he didn't have to wear a "fat" suit, he put all his effort into the role, putting particular emphasis into Cheney's style of speech and mannerisms, down to the use of hands and licking lips. Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Carell were also convincing in their roles, though none were even close to Bale's performance.
Vice constantly broke the 4th wall and mostly focused on the negative aspects of Cheney's character. The level of manipulation in the political system was shocking, and you leave the cinema feeling uncomfortable about the powers that the quiet, thinking person may hold.
Incredibly biased, and they are aware of it, but to paraphrase what was said in the opening still; considering the secretive nature of the man, they did their f**king best.