Vice is a film that attempted to sink its teeth into the past of America's most powerful and mysterious former Vice President - Dick Cheney in classic Adam McKay docu-dramedy template. We see how Dick swam in the broth of power before getting seasoned in it, took over the office with the support of his wife after Nixon's Watergate scandal, negotiated his way into becoming George W. Bush's puppet master, ran his fingers through the US Government from every corner and planned a deliberate attack on Iraq to harbor Middle East's oil resources under the pretense of seeking justice for September 11 attacks. All in all, we get to witness how The Unitary Executive Theory alias absolute executive power put into practice when Dick Cheney was holding his position in the White House!
Just like McKay's The Big Short, Vice's screenplay is unique and unconventional. Told from the perspective of Dick Cheney's heart donor, we rode on the rise and fall of one of the most dangerous man in history. What kept us constantly hooked to the storytelling was the unpredictability that came with McKay's screenwriting. We can't guess the next image that's gonna be thrown at us. Dick and his wife uttering Shakespearean lines from Macbeth prior to taking up the prolific job offer, autonomy forms of power served as restaurant menu, fishing activity during a terms agreement meeting to show Bush has taken the bait or even the end credits appearing in the middle of the picture were creatively amazing! These worked well because these weren't gimmicks. Adam McKay has used the usual storytelling tools to toy with audiences' expectations and familiarity with narratives. With these being said, the screenplay brought too much attention to its style in a narcissistic sort of way that it undermined our attachment and connection with the characters. At the end of the day, the film had a definite plot for sure, but there weren't any emotional heft lingering behind it.
Speaking of characters, the performances given by Sam Rockwell as President George W. Bush and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney were fantastic. As for Christian Bale who played the protagonist, he is an actor well known for doing everything a role demands, that this incredible transformation is not surprising. We knew early on he'd get the miracle done. Nonetheless, it's very important to acknowledge the amount of weight he has gained to move into the skin of Dick Cheney. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what you call dedication to passion.