The reviews of VICE have been hit and miss. Some critics love it, while others are not as thrilled with the fractured nature of the film's structure. But there's one thing everyone can agree on, the performances of the actors involved were stellar. Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Carell are phenomenal in their portrayals of Cheney, his wife Lynne, George W. Bush, and Donald Rumsfeld. In fact, nearly everyone in this cast is spot on. If you compare the VICE cast vs. the real people, it's downright stunning how close of a match the costumes, hair, and makeup come to the real people.
At the top of the list is Bale as Cheney. But Bale isn’t the only one to give a transformative performance. He encourages everyone else in the cast to step up and bring their A-game. Amy Adams takes what could be a two-dimensional, evil Lynne Cheney and gives her frustrated ambitions a relatable drive. Steve Carell takes Donald Rumsfeld and gives him a level of pathos I didn't think possible. As for Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, he obliterates all impersonations that came before.
There are other surprising cameos too. Here's a rundown of all the characters who hit the mark perfectly.
Christian Bale is a chameleon in this role. Seeing him transform into Cheney is something beyond a mere impersonation. There are points when you cannot even see Bale inside the character. It's remarkable.
Likewise, Amy Adams is amazing and this is one of her most transformative performances to date. She is stunning as a woman who has poured all her ambitions into her man and is determined he will succeed.
When one thinks "George Bush impersonation" one usually thinks Will Ferrell, not Sam Rockwell. And though Ferrell is actually credited as a producer on the film, in this case, he stayed off-screen and let someone else nail the Bush impression.
It's, once again, time for Tyler Perry to remind everyone he has serious acting chops under all those Madea prosthetics. His Colin Powell is one of the most sympathetic characters in the movie.
Forget Welcome To Marwen — Steve Carell's Oscar-level performance is here in VICE. He's everything people hated about Donald Rumsfeld's combative personality, and yet utterly heartbreaking by the end.
This is a smaller role than the ones mentioned above. But Eddie Maran, like Christian Bale, practically disappears inside the iconic façade of Rumsfeld's right-hand man in the Iraq War.
Rice is a reduced presence in the film, partly to emphasize how little Bush's friends registered with Cheney. But Hamilton makes the most of her time on screen, especially in the 9/11 scenes.
Both Cheney daughters grow up throughout the film, but Pill's final scene as the adult Mary after Liz and her father betray her is one of the most affecting of the entire movie.
The film obviously sympathizes with Mary over Liz, as one can tell by the terrible wig on Rabe. But despite the unfortunate wig, she does a remarkable job with the role.
