Vice

"The following is a true story.

Or as true as it can be given that Dick Cheney is known as one of the most secretive leader in history.

But we did our fucking best."

Haha. Nice winking quote to start the film.....wait a minute. Leader? But he was the Vice President wasn't he?

Vice is the story of Dick Cheney. From his Wyoming set humble beginnings as a lineman for the county (gotta get that Glen Campbell reference in) to his first day in Washington D.C. where he got a taste for political life. Here he started out as an intern for the morally corrupt Donald Rumsfield and this pairing set the tone for the rest of his career up to and including his years as George W. Bush's vice president. Well I say vice president when I actually mean puppet master extraordinaire. Alongside him every step of the way was his wife Lynne. A perfect match for him. In every way.

This was something else. A film that will leave you despairing for the state of the world while proving the maxim that truth is always stranger than fiction. This played in the Odeon last week as part of a secret screening. The crowd groaned when the name of the film appeared onscreen as we were all politicked out from constant Brexit coverage but 131 minutes later we were rapt. It's the kind of film you leave feeling like you've been kicked in the head. Not so much a political drama as a flat out horror film. It's the story of a man who left carnage in his wake on his way to the top. An absolute monster but one with a human core as you'll see in his scenes with his daughter. A monster who had a finger in every pie and a hand in every act that has left America and the world in it's current dire straits. If this was a made up story you'd be mumbling "fuck off" at the screen as it would seem just too far fetched. But it's all true. Well most of it. Director Adam McKay knows he couldn't possibly know everything that happened so he has a lot of fun filling in the blanks.

For a political horror that will leave you in a rage it's surprisingly funny. The utter absurdity of what plays out onscreen will force shocked laughter out of you regularly. The sheer chutzpah shown by the republican party to get America to agree with the bridge they had to sell them is darkly hilarious especially when you remember just what they got away with. Even Cheney's health becomes a running joke. His numerous heart attacks and his nonplussed reactions to each of them is a source of humour that gets funnier everytime. Don't believe me? Just watch the way Christian Bale plays it. I never knew he could be so funny while playing the scene completely straight. Steve Carell's Rumsfield is priceless too. An utter scumbag who somehow finagled his way into the power structure of Washington. The moment where he bullies Colin Powell feels like it should be happening in a primary school playground and not the West Wing of the White House. A scene that feels ludicrous yet horribly real.

With America the way it is at the moment this feels like the perfect time for this movie. The havoc wrought by climate change, the fear about guns, the opiate crisis destroying vast swathes of middle America, this film suggests Dicky and his gang were to blame for all of them. A tiny scene of solar panels installed by Jimmy Carter on the White House roof being ripped out during Reagan's tenure feels like the seeds being sown for a modern day reaping. At times it's like watching a slow motion car crash playing out in front of you. You'd nearly plead for someone to step in and say "ENOUGH!". Someone like Lynne Cheney. A voice of reason. The conscience of the film. But then she's as bad as him. Worse at times. When their daughter comes out as gay to them he hugs her, accepts her instantly while Lynne worries about the political ramifications. It's a strong scene. One that humanises him some bit while dehumanising her. 

The acting in this is superb across the board. There's no weak link. Bale as Cheney is immense. A venal bastard with a caring side and as good as he's ever been. He slips into the part like a chameleon and soon enough you'll forget you're looking at Batman. Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney is equally good and far from the character you'd expect her to be. No cliched calm and caring wife here. Oh no. She's Lady Macbeth in all but name. Sam Rockwell as George Dubya is great value too. At times playing him nearly too monkey-like but you'll laugh sadly for him everytime he appears. Being played like a fool while thinking he's in charge. The film pulls no punches in showing who was really the man in Washington D.C. Old D.C. himself. He's the man who laid the groundwork for the man in charge today....

This was excellent. Go see it. Be entertained and leave in a rage. Just don't go after 45 mins. There's an in-joke you'll get soon enough.