James Reviews: 'Vice'

Adam McKay has quite the career for himself, serving as writer and producer for various comedies over the years. However, he surprised everyone in 2015 with The Big Short, a serious drama that delved into the 2008 housing crises and the men who bet against the banks and profited off of it. Now he's back with another topical, based-on-a-true-story, biopic about George W. Bush's Vice President, Dick Cheney. All around, it's an interesting look into the infamous politician's life and rise to power, but fails to maintain a consistent tone.

As the movie starts off in his college years/pre-politics life, he seems to have a somewhat humble beginning, working at an electrical company as a lineman—after dropping out of Yale due to alcoholism. However, after one night of heavy drinking and bar fighting that results in him getting pulled over by the police for driving under the influence, his wife, Lynne Vincent Cheney, demands that he cleans up his life or she will leave him. This scene is an early example of Amy Adams playing Lynne as a Lady MacBeth type, one that gets fully fleshed out as Dick runs to be representative of Wyoming. He suffers a heart attack, leading to Lynne running the campaign on her behalf, and thanks to her charismatic and commanding persona, he ends up winning. The raw energy of Adams' performance is matched only by Christian Bales' indistinguishable gruff voice and physique. The pair are a force to reckon with whenever they appear onscreen, capturing the viewers' attention and delivering iconic portrayals.

Cheney makes his way up through the ranks of power, starting out as White House intern during the Nixon administration, moving on to White House Chief of Staff under Gerald Ford, and so on and so forth. Mentoring him along the way is Donald Rumsfeld—played by Steve Carell—who delivered a speech that struck a chord with Cheney and convinces him to work in the Republican Party. Rumsfeld's' influence over Cheney is so abundantly clear that the film presents a point that Cheney was a Republican only because his main role model was one.

Carell delivers a mature, no-nonsense portrayal of Donald, showing Dick the ins and outs of Washington D.C. that likely still ring true today with both major U.S. political parties. It's a shame Carell isn't in the movie all that much. He delivers a character who is almost as interesting as the Cheneys themselves, and it would have been fascinating to see his evolution through the various administrations. Another figure who has a small but memorable role is Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, whose first scene is him throwing up at a Christmas party and getting scolded by his parents for getting drunk. After that, Bush Jr. disappears until the film brings him back for the 2000 Presidential Race segment.

There isn't much commentary on W. Bush's leadership, but rather how Cheney managed to convince him to hand over executive responsibilities including bureaucracy, energy and foreign policy. It plays a bit like House of Cards in terms of how Dick manages to gain such power, although it's definitely played up in a more satirical fashion.

Outside of politics, he's shown to be a good father, accepting his daughter Mary's coming out as a lesbian and deciding to retire into the private sector, choosing his family life over the possibility of running for President. Even when he does decide to be George W.'s running mate, he has both daughters supporting him, indicating that—contrary to popular belief—he does a heart and genuinely cares about other people. Speaking of which, he suffers from cardiac problems several times throughout the film, and it does bring a level of humanity to the figure, also hinting that while his decisions are questionable, he's making them because he could keel over at any time. He either has no regrets and/or is willing to face the consequences.

At this point in the movie, McKay clumsily wanders back and forth between praising and denouncing Cheney, creating this unusual balance that also lends itself into McKay's own personal bias. There are moments of genuine criticism against Dick's methods and abuse of power, but at the same time, there are instances that come across as unnecessarily cruel.

Adam McKay knows how to write and work with actors, but he clearly lacks an eye for visuals. There are some attempts at style, for example; as the White House officials and staff respond to the 9/11 attacks, the camera moves along at a bumpy and rapid pace, giving a sense of panic. However, it quickly resorts to flat, uninspired cinematography, going through the motions and not pulling any attention to itself in terms of design. If it weren't for Adams' and Bales' electric presences filling the frames, there would be little reason to keep watching. Then there's the question of tone; this movie feels like a drama in the beginning, a satire in the middle, and some attempt at a mashup of the two in the third act. McKay has proven to be excellent at handling serious material before, yet there's a lack of finesse and the biting commentary feels rather toothless.

Adam McKay still has some work to do before he can be called a bonafide drama director, but if there's one he knows what to do, it's conjuring amazing performances out of his actors. Vice is a solid recap of the career of one of the most controversial figures in the history of U.S. politics, although it could have been told in a much more captivating way.

Rating: 6/10 - Solid