I was intrigued by this film from the day it was released. The Bush/Cheney rule in the US rivals that of Donald Trump for its outrageous power grabs and one-man rule. Unfortunately, that one-man rule was not the president but the vice-president operating in the background. Cheney built a cabinet of warmongers and ultra right-wing economists. That government built the ground on which Trump was elected and a host of right-wing senators and congress persons. Even the Democrats lean right, and Obama was constrained and influenced by the right. That rant out of the way I turn now to the film itself. Right at the start the film offers a proviso. The filmmakers point out in text that for anyone to know everything that really happened in the years leading up to Cheney’s rule is impossible, but nonetheless they “tried their fucking best”. The film is interesting particularly for politics junkies. We see connections to Donald Rumsfeld, Anthony Scalia and others that might not be immediately obvious to everyone. It also shows how more moderate people like Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell were manipulated. The problem with the film is that the director and writers seem not to be sure if they were making a dramatic film or a documentary and it is at least 40 minutes longer than it needs to be as dramatic elements of no real relevance are inserted including a bizarre scene of fake Shakespearean dialogue between Cheney and his wife. All that aside the movie is interesting and involving and offers insight into those years.

Of course, in the current tradition of political correctness the film, like Green Book and others has come under criticism for not being an accurate historical portrait. I hate using the “political correctness” thing because I support being politically correct in many circumstances but I am not sure I am okay with it being used in these cases. The unfortunate personal actions of people like Tom Cruise, Kevin Spacey, and the political antics of Clint Eastwood, Jon Voight, and Dennis Hopper doesn’t mean I will stop watching Mission Impossible, The Usual Suspects, Dirty Harry, Midnight Cowboy, or Easy Rider. Likewise Vice and Green Book may not accurately reflect the real events they portray but the films themselves are good and should be judged on their merits as works of art. Many will disagree but I needed to get that off my chest. Meanwhile if you are a political junkie you will definitely like this movie and there is no question that the performances of the ensemble cast of Cristian Bale, Sam Rockwell, Amy Adams and Steve Carrell are superb and worthy of the nominations they have received. If you aren’t as intrigued with politics as many others you will find it too long and somewhat boring. I stand on the border – I was interested but wanted to fast forward through some of the film. Rotten Tomatoes gives it 6.7/10 for critical response and a 3.1/5 audience rating. Hmmm… an excellent mediocre film?