I was worried, though I probably should not have been, that British born Christian Bale could get Dick Cheney’s very specific voice right. He nails it. Adam McKay wrote and directed this film, which is absolutely his tone of dancing at the edge of funny and tragic. This is pulling at the roots of the war in Iraq – which, compared to what Trump is doing, seems like child’s play. But if Vice is headed in the direction I think it is, McKay will pull back macro, like he did with The Big Short, to show just what kind of power grab America was under then, and is still under. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Trump is still just a suit standing in place of billionaires who actually control this country and just bought an election, another election. In some ways we’re kind of screwed – but the one thing they can’t touch? Art. They can’t touch art. Here is the trailer for Vice.
And Sam Rockwell…genius.
They’re just Syndey Prosser and Irving Rosenfeld conning us! In heavy make up!
It is remarkable that so many think they are Nostradumas and can predict winners or nomination misses from a trailer. I think McKay makes it likely there will be several nominations. Though I agree, I am not going to see a movie about sociopaths for Christmas. It won’t dent the box office for Mary Poppins Returns.
Sometimes I do think that you can watch a trailer and just tell that a performance is going to make a splash. People are immediately buzzing. I don’t know. Maybe it means if you can get people talking just based on a taste of a performance it’s likely that there’s something there. Some recent examples for me are Anne Hathaway, Heath Ledger, Eddie Redmayne, Gary Oldman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Viola Davis. Most people saw trailers for their respective movies and said “damn they look good in that.” To me Christian Bale in this is giving those same kind of vibes.
I am such an Amy Adams fan, and I want her to win an Oscar SOON. But I hope it is not for this. She deserves better than to win an Oscar for playing the wife in an Adam McKay dramedy.
I do hope she is nominated, which – if she has enough material – she probably will since they owe her for Arrival (yes, Im still bitter about it)
Agree with this 100%.
I’m with you on Amy Adams and her performance in Arrival.
For about two seconds, I thought that Amy Adams was actually Kate McKinnon. If this is as good as I think it is, then Adams and Bale will be walking away with Oscars.
Honestly, this looks amazing. I’m alllll in for Christian Bale to win his second Oscar
If Bale wins again, he is gonna make it with two Dickies
ROFLMAO
This has the potential of a sweeper… Picture, Director, Actor, Actress (Adams is also due, even thought I think this is Close’s), Supporting Actor (Carell or Rockwell, 2nd in a row), Screenplay, Film Editing, Make Up look really strong…
… and I think we have an Actor frontrunner, then.
For the record… The Big Short was better than Spotlight… and my runner up for Picture and Director that year, right behind that complete masterpiece that Mad Max: Fury Road is.
Exactly my number 1 and 2.
So, I’m expecting big things for this one.
Don’t you think they’ll put Amy Adams in supporting? Pull category fraud for the win?
Category fraud? she is barely in the trailer.
She must go supporting, she belongs there
That’s the Best Actor winner. Done. Race is over.
I agree–Bale will win for this. The AMPAS crowd loves historical figures and good make up jobs. Bale looks more like Cheney here than Gary Oldman did as Churchill.
I’m not so sure about that.
This is gonna get a slew of nominations. Picture/Actor/Supporting actor/supporting actress/director/screenplay plus some tech noms look possible/probable
Also, who is supposed to see this movie? In a country that can’t even focus on one news story for more than a month, do they think people are really clamoring to know more about Dick Cheney. I think this thing is gonna bomb.
It doesn’t really matter in terms of Oscar consideration I think (box office).
I hear you, especially when they’re releasing this *on Christmas Day*, but… damn… The Big Short was great, and this (from an outsiders perspective) will hopefully be just as good.
Trailer is underwhelming but Bale’s transformation may be Oscar worthy.
Woah. I guess I’m the only one who is severely disappointed by this trailer. And it’s not just because it’s a bad trailer, but the elements of the movie it shows us did not impress me. For one, the makeup. I’m sorry, but it is very distracting. Rockwell’s nose…Jesus. McKay should’ve just had his good buddy Will Ferrel play W. Then Rumsfeld and Cheney himself. It’s just too noticeable. Second, the acting didn’t wow me. Bale seems to be trying too hard to talk out of the side of his mouth and squint one eye. I’m gonna call it now that this film doesn’t get any Oscar noms. How bout that for a No Guts No Glory.
Yawn… thanks for sharing your critical perspective. I’m sure it means a lot to you and Dick Cheney.
This is ridiculous…anyone criticizing Bale’s performance is now a Dick Cheney shill? Double yawn.
0 noms I agree. But I am going to see the movie and it might surprise. At the moment it’s very disappointing.
I’m OK with you not liking the trailer, but I beg to differ… Bale seems nailing exactly the kind of performance that sweep awards (and I doubt Rami Malek’s Bohemian Rhapsody reception will parallel the one to Vice, which seems in the line of The Big Short, from the trailer). This has SAG Ensemble nom, written all over it (Bale, Rockwell, Adams and Carell). Of course we need to wait a bit, and it would not be the first time that trailers mislead us, but I’m having the feeling this is going to be a big Oscar player.
I don’t agree. Honest to God I did NOT know (or realize) that Sam Rockwell was playing Bush. For a couple of seconds I actually thought that was Bush!!. And Bale has that raspy voice down to perfection–maybe a little too perfect.
Must have been a shock to Cheney’s heart transplant surgeons. They cut open his chest only to find out it was already empty!
Lord Bale!
and for the second year in a raw the Oscar for the best actor in a leading role goes to… a Make-up artist! Just kidding, or not kidding at all.
The transformation is impressive, but the performance itself (not to be confused with the characterization) seems a bit soulless. I don’t know…I’m intrigued but I’m not gonna get myself hyped up for a legendary performance.
Soulless would be an accurate representation.
I guess you skipped the part where I said “not to be confused with the characterization”…you can actually see the beats he’s trying to play before they happen. Sam Rockwell is far more convincing as Bush with far less of a physical transformation.
Good, whoever said Dick Cheney even had a soul. I like the way he was the chair of the VP Selection Committee–and PICKED HIMSELF.
You people need to learn to read.
Best Actor is quite competitive. Cooper v. Bale v. Dafoe v. Gosling. I’m still going with Cooper but it’s hard not to respect the transformation that Bale underwent. I’m just finding it hard to believe that Cooper could score 4-5 nominations and not win a single one, especially since Bale has won before, albeit for supporting.
Plus, if Cooper is nominated for directing, acting, producing and writing, that brings him up to 8 noms in total. It’s difficult to see him going home empty-handed.
It’s not going to be Gosling or Dafoe.
You’re probably right but Dafoe could rally if vice doesn’t do well and the academy don’t want to honour Cooper – he is immensely popular and there seems to be a real desire to award him. I agree its not Gosling
No thanks. Not interested. I already have my fair amount of SNL every Saturday night. I don’t need this.
this is not parody, this is satire. Hope one day you’ll notice the difference.
Parody is a form of satire. Have a good day.
a form of satire, exactly, not “satire” per se. This is more “Dr. Strangelove” than “Airplane!” mind you get the difference?
Sorry parody involves specific people or characters while satire is about general human foibles, human vice or folly as it is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.
given the precedents in McKay’s career (The Big Short, The Campaign – story -, Talladega Nights) I’m quite confident McKay is satirizing. And he’s quite good at it.
Something about Adam’s few line readings in the trailer reminds of her character in The Master.
Looks fun. Which is a lot. Nothing more so far tho.
Love it. THAT’s how you get butts in seats for a political movie on Xmas Day.
Okay, he’s winning the Oscar… just by watching the trailer you can see that he transforms into the role.