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    UM band plays together for the first time this year

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    UM chooses enrollment veteran to fill new vice chancellor position

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    Mississippi voters passed Initiative 65. What’s next?

    Thousands of scholars rally behind fired UM professor

    Campus prepares for flu season, ‘uptick’ in cases

    University assembles vaccination task force

    Oxford man shot, killed by police after domestic violence situation

    Gallery: Drive-Thru Drag Show

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    Gallery: Ole Miss women’s basketball defeated by Mizzou 86-77

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    Ole Miss receives bowl-game invite despite LSU loss

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    A look into the fluctuating Oxford food truck business

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    UM band plays together for the first time this year

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    Cartoon: The way you in my business

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Movie review: Though funny, ‘Vice’ reduces its complex subject to one-dimension

Avery RuthbyAvery Ruth
January 24, 2019
2 min read

Storming into theaters this winter, the political comedy “Vice,” directed and written by Adam McKay, tells the story of Dick Cheney’s life in politics. The film makes a valiant effort to comment on the United States’ tricky past and to impact the current condition of our nation.

This movie begs for laughter in each scene as it explores the mysterious story of Cheney’s rise to power in the White House and the influence he and his family had on the Bush administration.

On one hand, McKay’s sense of directing shone through in strong performances by his immensely talented cast for the film, which stars Christian Bale as Dick Cheney with co-stars Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell. Bale completely transformed into Cheney, and his efforts paid off as he took home the sole Golden Globe of the six awards for which “Vice” was nominated. Adams displays strong emotions as Lynne Cheney, and Rockwell delivers a complete George W. Bush with flawless mannerisms and a Texan accent.

The entire makeup and hair department also gives an Oscar-worthy performance that helps strengthen the appearance of the actors and convince the audience of the story on the screen. This part of a film crew often goes overlooked, but when dealing with a film that covers decades of history, it is crucial to having a successful film. Together, the actors and the makeup and hair department make “Vice” one of this year’s more notable films.

However, McKay makes it hard to take this movie seriously at times. In general, he did a good job at creating the comedic moments we are used to seeing from him in movies like “Anchorman” and “The Other Guys,” but there are also times in “Vice” where an intended joke doesn’t land just right due to the serious subject matter or the poor timing of the joke.

By focusing on Bush’s response to the 9/11 attacks, McKay chooses a very controversial subject to focus on in “Vice,” and the result is a very one-dimensional movie throughout. It hardly ever has anything good to say about its protagonist. Whether there actually is anything good to say or not, the character’s lack of complexity makes for a flick that seems like a one-sided liberal advertisement.

McKay misses a big opportunity to present the audience with the choice of deciding for themselves whether Cheney’s actions in the White House were moral or not. The script portrays Cheney as a heartless, power-hungry bulldozer, President Bush is written to have the IQ of a toddler who is easily manipulated by Cheney.

Whether or not you support the decisions made during Bush’s presidency, it is hard to stay entertained while watching predictable characters.

Overall, McKay’s “Vice” is worth seeing for those who love strong acting, moments of laughter and period dramas. This movie, though one-dimensional, leaves you with many questions about America’s controversial history, motivating its viewers to look further into the matters concerning Cheney’s decisions with the government.

In Case You Missed It

Gallery: Ole Miss women’s basketball defeated by Mizzou 86-77

4 days ago

Gallery: Ole Miss men’s basketball falls to Florida 72-63

4 days ago

UM chooses enrollment veteran to fill new vice chancellor position

7 days ago

Rebels bring home Outback Bowl trophy after 26-20 win over Indiana

2 weeks ago

Gallery: Ole Miss defeats Indiana 26-20

2 weeks ago

Ole Miss receives bowl-game invite despite LSU loss

4 weeks ago

Movie review: Though funny, ‘Vice’ reduces its complex subject to one-dimension

Avery RuthbyAvery Ruth
January 24, 2019
2 min read

Storming into theaters this winter, the political comedy “Vice,” directed and written by Adam McKay, tells the story of Dick Cheney’s life in politics. The film makes a valiant effort to comment on the United States’ tricky past and to impact the current condition of our nation.

This movie begs for laughter in each scene as it explores the mysterious story of Cheney’s rise to power in the White House and the influence he and his family had on the Bush administration.

On one hand, McKay’s sense of directing shone through in strong performances by his immensely talented cast for the film, which stars Christian Bale as Dick Cheney with co-stars Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell. Bale completely transformed into Cheney, and his efforts paid off as he took home the sole Golden Globe of the six awards for which “Vice” was nominated. Adams displays strong emotions as Lynne Cheney, and Rockwell delivers a complete George W. Bush with flawless mannerisms and a Texan accent.

The entire makeup and hair department also gives an Oscar-worthy performance that helps strengthen the appearance of the actors and convince the audience of the story on the screen. This part of a film crew often goes overlooked, but when dealing with a film that covers decades of history, it is crucial to having a successful film. Together, the actors and the makeup and hair department make “Vice” one of this year’s more notable films.

However, McKay makes it hard to take this movie seriously at times. In general, he did a good job at creating the comedic moments we are used to seeing from him in movies like “Anchorman” and “The Other Guys,” but there are also times in “Vice” where an intended joke doesn’t land just right due to the serious subject matter or the poor timing of the joke.

By focusing on Bush’s response to the 9/11 attacks, McKay chooses a very controversial subject to focus on in “Vice,” and the result is a very one-dimensional movie throughout. It hardly ever has anything good to say about its protagonist. Whether there actually is anything good to say or not, the character’s lack of complexity makes for a flick that seems like a one-sided liberal advertisement.

McKay misses a big opportunity to present the audience with the choice of deciding for themselves whether Cheney’s actions in the White House were moral or not. The script portrays Cheney as a heartless, power-hungry bulldozer, President Bush is written to have the IQ of a toddler who is easily manipulated by Cheney.

Whether or not you support the decisions made during Bush’s presidency, it is hard to stay entertained while watching predictable characters.

Overall, McKay’s “Vice” is worth seeing for those who love strong acting, moments of laughter and period dramas. This movie, though one-dimensional, leaves you with many questions about America’s controversial history, motivating its viewers to look further into the matters concerning Cheney’s decisions with the government.

In Case You Missed It

Gallery: Ole Miss women’s basketball defeated by Mizzou 86-77

4 days ago

Gallery: Ole Miss men’s basketball falls to Florida 72-63

4 days ago

UM chooses enrollment veteran to fill new vice chancellor position

7 days ago

Rebels bring home Outback Bowl trophy after 26-20 win over Indiana

2 weeks ago

Gallery: Ole Miss defeats Indiana 26-20

2 weeks ago

Ole Miss receives bowl-game invite despite LSU loss

4 weeks ago

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