Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney and Christian Bale as Dick Cheney in Vice. Photo / Supplied
Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney and Christian Bale as Dick Cheney in Vice. Photo / Supplied
This scathing and witty portrayal of bureaucrat Dick Cheney's rise to power will have Republicans crying "fake news"; while liberals, and those amused by American politics, will be highly entertained.
In part this is because of the unusual storytelling approach chosen by writer and director Adam McKay - a dramatisationof events acted out by a stellar cast and narrated in the style of a documentary. It's also due to the fascinating subject, a brilliant politician who quietly manoeuvred and manipulated his way into being President George W. Bush's power wielding Vice-President during a dark period in recent American history.
At first it's hard to tell what this film is, with Christian Bale again going beyond the call of duty to transform himself physically into Dick Cheney. Skeletal in 2004's The Machinist, this time he's stacked on the pounds to present a man with a heart condition - props to the makeup and prosthetics department too.
Amy Adams also does a stellar job playing Lynne Cheney, an outspoken and ambitious woman who supports her husband and his ideals - in a later era she would have had her husband's career. Sam Rockwell as Bush and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld may sound like a stretch, but, weirdly, they both work well.
The story is one-sided and opinionated - to say the least - but McKay keeps us interested with quirky storytelling techniques such as a fake ending and a sudden twist surrounding the narrator. It's easy to see why Vice dominated the Golden Globe awards - it's edgy, good fun and to this day the subject and his legacy remain relevant and controversial.
Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams Director: Adam McKay Running Time: 132 mins Rating: M (Violence, offensive language & content that may disturb) Verdict: Heck of a lot of fun as long as you are not a Republican
