By Robert Yaniz Jr.

DAY 28 OF THE 2018 HOLIDAY BINGE

Christian Bale becomes the infamous Dick Cheney in director Adam McKay’s latest awards contender.

THE HYPE

You may have noticed how divisive the political landscape is right now. So, if you are also thinking that what we need right now is the right film to deepen that divide and perpetuate the argument, then you’re in luck. Vice may not have direct narrative ties to the current administration, but it may as well, with its social commentary about presidential corruption and the dark side of gaining power. Director Adam McKay appears to be embracing his role as a kind of comic historian, but what of his exploration into former VP Dick Cheney?

THE STORY

Propelled by his very own Lady Macbeth in Amy Adams’ Lynne Cheney, Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) ascends the ranks in Washington, D.C. over the course of several decades. Eventually, Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) pegs Cheney as the perfect complement to his lack of D.C. experience, and a controversial administration was born. Moving from one ruthless move to the next, Vice tracks Cheney’s actions without ever really committing to his perspective on any of them.

THE CAST

Despite the weak script, Bale rises to the challenge of embodying Cheney’s mannerisms, vocal intonations and general demeanor. The actor is always drawn to a role that allows him to completely disappear, and Vice continues that trajectory. Adams — Bale’s now-three-time costar — too does the very best she can with an underwritten role, and Rockwell does quite the Dubya impression in his two or three scenes. Even saddled the heavy lifting of ongoing narration, Jesse Plemons cements his status as 2018 breakout.

THE PRODUCTION

Clearly convinced that he shouldn’t look to improve what worked previously, McKay leans so hard into his bag of tricks from The Big Short that the end result is even more off-putting this time around. It’s unclear if the filmmaker was angling for Vice to fall into the realm of satire, since the film is neither funny enough to find the humor in its tale nor somber enough to respect the gravity of the story it’s telling. With its obvious political bent, Vice is the perfect example of how a mismatch in tone and content can doom any project.

THE VERDICT

Vice‘s biggest crime is how unnecessary it all feels. We already knew that Bale and Adams are among the best actors of their generation (and the former’s penchant for transformative performances). We already knew Cheney’s own misdeeds, which the film literally makes no apologies for. And we’ve seen McKay’s light-hearted play on historical events with The Big Short. So it’s unclear who Vice is for, other than Academy voters. Those against Cheney will simply feel vindicated, left wondering why they even bothered watching.

Vice stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Tyler Perry, Alison Pill, and Jesse Plemons and is directed by Adam McKay.