Vice

I saw Vice last night, on the recommendation of various people, and I mostly thought it was very good. I remember very much enjoying The Big Short when that came out, and this was similarly cleverly put together with excellent performances. It felt a bit long and a bit dry, but it gave me a lot of interesting information and the presentation was intermittently genius. Christian Bale is very convincing, and conveys a great deal in long pauses and hard stares. Amy Adams gives Lynne Cheney tremendous strength and conviction, making her almost more chilling than her husband in places.

The film details both subtle and not-so-subtle changes in US politics, providing a road map from where we were several decades ago to where we are now. It also looks at how politicians' families are affected by their jobs and charts the careers of mulitple people who have had a profound effect on US policy and actions in recent times.

The interview that ends the film raises some interesting questions about public culpability, but it's definitely worth waiting through the credits for an extra scene that also pokes fun at the liberal viewpoint.

This film certainly isn't as funny or downright entertaining as The Big Short, but it's compelling in its own way and I would recommend it to anyone interested in US politics.