Vice

Enfin un film décent parmi les nominés aux Oscars, même s’il m’est désagréable de regarder ces crapules de politiques américains qui ont semé le chaos dans plusieurs parties du monde, sachant qu’un équilibre minimal n’a pas encore pu être retrouvé aujourd’hui. Mi-fiction, mi-documentaire, avec sa narration acerbe, ses procédés artistiques singuliers et son arrangement général insolite, Vice interpelle le spectateur. Néanmoins, il est nécessaire de rester constamment sur ses gardes et de garder le cap à travers l’alternance des lignes narratives, mais à aucun moment on ne s’ennuie, à la différence de certains concurrents aux Oscars. Puis, il y a l'acteur Christian Bale qui, depuis longtemps déjà, fait partie des caméléons. Et ça vaut notamment pour son apparence physique, vu qu’il est capable de se montrer tant avec la peau sur les os qu’avec un embonpoint. Il est époustouflant dans le rôle de Cheney et surclasse aisément Malek, donc je m'attends à une bataille passionnante dans la catégorie des premiers rôles masculins. Ma chère Ady Adams apparaît encore une fois en femme discrète, mais son personnage crucial dans la vie de Dick Cheney pourrait enfin lui faire décrocher un Oscar. Les rôles secondaires, en particulier Donald Rumsfeld sous les traits de Steve Carrell, sont joués avec une précision incroyable. Je tire mon chapeau et je croise les doigts. (23/02/2019)

When Christian Bale thanked Satan for inspiring his portrayal of Dick Cheney at the Golden Globes, he not only gained the fondness of the Church of Satan, but also expressed how McKay’s film is problematic. He takes a very easy target and, and with a complete lack of nuance, depicts Cheney as the most demonic figure in modern American history, responsible for the war in Iraq, the torture of prisoners and numerous other crimes against humanity. Despite Bale's convincing physical transformation into the powerful politician and the humorous etudes of the actors in supporting roles (though humorous in a way similar to the celebrity cameos in Anchorman), this is a one-dimensional portrait of a diabolical figure without any psychological depth and tells us nothing that we wouldn’t already know. Furthermore, it is an ugly, dull film with mundane direction and, most importantly – unlike The Big Short, which used the same alienating procedures much more systematically – it is not entertaining. The elitist condescension to viewers who clearly would not enjoy Vice (the girl in the intertitle scene, telling her friend how she looks forward to the next instalment of Fast & Furious) is, despite how clever the film pretends to be, really stupid. 50% (25/01/2019)

A well-thought-out satire told in McKaye's typical style. Humorous scenes alternate unbelievably naturally with horrifying moments in modern history. Although Vice is another of Bale’s grand acting performances, this time the movie doesn’t rely on him alone. Adams and Rockwell are accomplished supporting actors. Primarily, however, the key things are the fresh screenplay and concept. A movie with an hour-long post-credits scene… They ruined House of Cards for us before the finale, and this could make up for that a little. (16/02/2019)

Again, an overused alienation effect and again a constant effort to be above all things, even in moments when it would be appropriate to weigh and let the given information or twist settle calmly. And Adam McKay smiles and winks at me from every line of the script, but I still have yet to figure out whether he considers the audience his best friend or a stubborn fool. What's the use then, that Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and the sovereign Amy Adams can bend over backwards, when this slightly biting satire about a notorious juggernaut lifted from real life looks in a different direction at the most important moments? Still, it's good enough for a weaker average film, because the story, thanks to its bold time jumps, involuntarily captivates you – and unlike The Big Short, I don't get the feeling that I've sat through a lesson in recent history that lasts five hours. (01/02/2019)

A classical American topic – the only attention it will draw will be at the Oscars… and then it will be forgotten. At least Amy Adams still has a pretty face. On the other hand, I would barely have recognized Christian Bale. I guess that this was why at the Golden Globes he thanked Satan for having had the chance to play in this movie… (13/02/2019)