Vice – Movie Reviews by Ry!
Vice – A Leader in the Second Chair
When you come to watch things through certain lenses, you tend to have a skewed sense of perception. The ideal situation is ‘I know’, but then there are things given (in a way) that helps you see the light of truth. Biopics are films that play with knowledge with hopes of giving a portrayal that is worth an experience of understanding. At the same time, you must have a good story when writing a 2-hour script. At this crossroads of living through it and being entertained is Vice. A film about a man who lived with power behind-the-scenes, it shows truth through a way that entertains. Even with some uneven use of time and story elements, Vice will show you things that changed the course of history.
Vice is the story of Dick Cheney. You watch as he come from unearthly beginnings in Wyoming, to becoming a leader that pulled many strings behind-the-scenes in a handful of White House Administrations. Through each decade portrayed, you see a genuine sense of human detail that is conflicted with the decisions made because of the ‘opportunities’ presented. The balancing act of truth and drama comes in the form of the actors/actresses playing the roles. From Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, to the others in important roles (Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell as George W Bush, etc.), you see a recreation of people that you may have only known through the lens of the public eye. The endearment comes in how they provide a complimentary approach to their personal lives. You see the places they came from, what moved them forward in politics and how far they moved the tide, one way or the other. That sense of ‘give and take’ is shown through mannerisms, interactions and deeply provoking dialogue. For all the expositions and convenient transitions (explained later), what made everything whole is the characterization by the individuals.
As you move further into the story, the drama is complimented with a mockumentary styling of the real-life scenarios. The director has a way of complimenting with explanations that are comical within actualization. From Cheney’s role during the Nixon/Ford era, to his positioning of power into the Bush’s White House, everything transitions with this mockumentary styling of explaining the truth. This might contrast the pacing and tone, but it provides a spectrum of ‘this is the truth’. There are times when the film drags, and secondary plots pulls away from the main story, but the overall journey is witty, slick and sheds an importance of what happened. Vice is a journey that provides a thought provoke scope using interesting characterization and entertaining dialogue. If you’re a fan of biopics or great acting, this is a film for you. This is a genuinely entertaining film, one that will give you a complimentary perspective of what you know to be true.
Final Score – 4 out of 5 (Full Price)