Dick Cheney, the Darth Vader of the George W. Bush administration, who decimated Iraq (twice), more or less invented WMD’s, introduced us to waterboarding, and paved the way for Donald Trump, now gets his very own biopic, courtesy of Adam McKay, the acerbic genius whose credits include Succession, The Big Short and the under-appreciated Eastbound and Down. Driven by wife Lynne, his Lady Macbeth (as if he needed one), Cheney is every bit as vile as we might have imagined in this venomous portrait, although McKay occasionally displays an odd sympathy for the devil. Christian Bale turns in an Oscar-worthy performance as Cheney, Amy Adams is Lynne, and Steve Carell has his fun with Donald Rumsfeld. The supporting actors, Tyler Perry as Colin Powell, Sam Rockwell as George W., and Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) as Paul Wolfowitz are not to be missed . — Peter Biskind
“The pace is jaunty, the scenes crackle with gleeful, giddy incredulity, and the dry business of statecraft attains the velocity of farce.” — A.O. Scott, New York Times
“Through wit, surprise and an irrepressible ballsiness comes a scorching humor that neither curdles nor becomes exhausted.” — Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter
“[A] slick, wildly meta, and occasionally too-clever portrait of the most influential and easily least understood figure to ever hold the nation’s second-highest post.” — Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
Adam McKay
Adam McKay
Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell
Annapurna Pictures, Gary Sanchez Productions, Plan B Entertainment