Vice, writer/director Adam McKay’s biography of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), the most powerful Vice President in history, is a movie I both enjoyed and did not enjoy.

The parts I found least engaging were the moments that explained the ins and outs of the White House and/or American politics during Cheney’s time as VP. It’s quite unfortunate because I’d actually hoped that Vice would be a movie that caught me up on some of America’s political history. It turns out that the way McKay’s story is told just didn’t hold my attention as I’d hoped it would. 

The parts that did have me paying very close attention were the moments that revealed Cheney’s character and emotional journey. Especially as he grew into a successful man. To put it another way, I liked the parts that revealed Cheney’s heart, the character study, rather than the political details of his operations post 9/11.

Where his wife Lynn Cheney (Amy Adams) is concerned, even though I may not agree with much of what she stands for, it was great to see a strong, confident woman speaking up for herself and taking charge of her destiny. 

In addition to the great performances by Bale, Adams, Steve Carell, and Sam Rockwell, I also want to congratulate the makeup and prosthetics team for a job well done. I was most impressed by the transformation of Rockwell into George W. Bush.

As for the all-important question of whether Vice is worth your time, if politics, American politics in particular, is especially interesting to you, perhaps give it a go. I can’t guarantee that you’ll like the way McKay chose to tell this story, but you may enjoy the content. I myself probably would have stopped watching Vice long before the end if I weren’t such a big fan of Bale and Adams.  

Watch it if you’re so curious.

Happy Film Loving,

G