QUICK TAKES: Vice, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Ben Is Back

Courtesy of Annapurna

Vice
(Rated R for language and some violent images.)

The cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell and Jesse Plemons.

What it’s about: Adam McKay, who transitioned from absurdist comedies like Anchorman and Talladega Nights to the bleaker, yet darkly hilarious The Big Short, applies a similar style of educating through entertainment with this biopic of Dick Cheney (Bale). Over the course of his life, Cheney evolved from a hard-drinking college dropout to the most powerful Vice President in history, reshaping global events in ways that we still feel nearly two decades later.

The good: Although Vice is a mixed bag overall, it never stops being interesting. That’s largely due to McKay’s razor-sharp screenplay and the incredible cast. At this point, it’s cliché to fawn over Bale’s physical transformations and the way he disappears into his characters – but his work here is simply mind-boggling.

True, when playing the younger Cheney, Bale just looks like a puffier version of himself. But once the story hits 9/11 and the trainwreck years that followed, I stopped thinking of him as an actor and just believed I was watching the VP.

While his co-stars don’t quite rise to his level, they’re still phenomenal. Adams, depicting Cheney’s wife Lynne as a Lady Macbeth figure, is icily persuasive. As Donald Rumsfeld, Carell hones in on the politician’s most efficient weapon – using his “aw, shucks” charm to mask deadly cunning. The only role that feels like a caricature is George W. Bush, but Rockwell is so darn good (and in the movie so briefly) that it’s a forgivable slight.

Bonus points for a brilliant mid-film joke that made me laugh harder than I have in a while. You’ll definitely know it when you see it.

The not-so-good: The approach McKay took with The Big Short – getting viewers to laugh and root for the characters for two hours, until he reminded us that they’re the bad guys – doesn’t work as well here since he’s dealing with far more prominent political figures. Also, the tonal shifts lead to some uneven scenes that hurt the narrative and pacing.

I get that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down (timely Mary Poppins reference!). But it’s weird to go from watching 9/11 footage and prisoners being beaten at Gitmo to a seeing a waiter – played by a recognizable actor making a cameo – offering Cheney and his colleagues a menu of legal loopholes for torture. In theory, I get what McKay’s trying to do. It’s the execution that doesn’t always work.

Grade: B

If Beale Street Could Talk

Courtesy of Annapurna

(Rated R for language and some sexual content. Now playing in limited release.)

The cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo and Teyonah Parris.

What it’s about: Based on the novel by iconic writer James Baldwin, this story focuses on a young couple living in early-1970s Harlem. Tish (Layne) learns she is expecting a child with her fiancé Fonny (James). They’re excited to start their lives together, with help from Tish’s supportive parents (Domingo and King), but their dream is derailed after Fonny is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Now Tish is determined to clear his name so he can be present for the birth of his son.

The good: Barry Jenkins, the auteur responsible for bona fide masterpiece Moonlight (aka one of the most memorable Best Picture winners in Oscar history), delivers a gorgeous follow-up that feels more like a poem than a traditional narrative. While that aspect means it may not reach a mainstream audience, the dreamlike quality of If Beale Street Could Talk made it one of my favorite films of 2018.

The plot is easy to follow, especially considering it plays as a series of vignettes, so I found my attention shifting to Jenkins’ use of close ups, James Laxton’s beautiful cinematography and Nicholas Britell’s jazzy, hypnotic score. Combined with powerhouse performances from James, King (who deserves a Best Supporting Actress nomination) and a shattering monologue from Brian Tyree Henry, the film is an embarrassment of riches.

The not-so-good: Again, I don’t see this one becoming a box office smash or connecting with multiplex viewers, but that’s not really what If Beale Street Could Talk was designed for. Furthermore, I feel like I went in with sky-high expectations that affected my viewing experience in a way that wasn’t the movie’s fault. This one demands a re-watch soon.

Grade: B+

Ben Is Back

Courtesy of Lionsgate

(Rated R for language throughout and some drug use. Now playing in limited release.)

The cast: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance and Kathryn Newton.

What it’s about: When 19-year-old Ben (Hedges) unexpectedly returns home from rehab on Christmas Eve, he gets a mixed welcome. His mother (Roberts) is relieved and excited, while his stepdad (Vance) and sister (Newton) are far more hesitant. They agree to let him stay home through Christmas, but a series of revelations and unexpected events force Ben to face the consequences of his past mistakes.

The good: For the first hour or so, Ben is Back was a strong contender for my Top 10 list last month. Hedges is outstanding and Roberts is the best she’s been in years. Their scenes together are magnetic and heartbreaking – a mother doing everything she can to protect a son whose addiction has made his life a nightmare of regret and temptation. Writer-director Peter Hedges (whose son initially turned down the title role because he thought being directed by his dad would be awkward) keeps the proceedings grounded and focuses on the family dynamic and interpersonal dramas.

The not-so-good: Sadly, things take a jarring turn in the second hour. The story goes from a Beautiful Boy-style drama to a bizarre crime thriller. It’s not bad, exactly – but it definitely feels like a different, less compelling movie than the first half. Thanks to Roberts and Hedges, it’s able to recover with a heartbreaking final scene, but they take a rough road to get there.

Grade: B-