Commentary

FILM REVIEW: Vice

NNPA NEWSWIRE — If the long list of characters seems vaguely familiar… Vice will set you straight. Not only does it give a closeup view of Dick Cheney and his agenda, it threads together all the people and machinations that led the country into a misguided war in the aftermath of 9/11 and a severe financial crisis.

Published

7 years ago

January 2, 2019

Oakland Post

(From L to R) Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, and Andrea Wright as Laura Busch in Adam McKay’s VICE, an Annapurna Pictures release. Credit : Matt Kennedy / Annapurna Pictures
2018 © Annapurna Pictures, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

By Dwight Brown, NNPA News Wire Film Critic

It was an historic power grab. Not the Republicans taking back the White House after a controversial, razor-thin win by George W. Bush over Al Gore. It was the vice president-elect, Dick Cheney, out-maneuvering George Jr. and becoming the puppet master. Cheney: “No one has shown the world the true power of the presidency.” If one quarter of this searing and satirical film is true, the filmmakers may have made a mistake titling the film Vice. Some viewers may think this bio/drama should have been called Dick.

Writer/director Adam McKay is no stranger to politics and news-related projects. He won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for The Big Short, a comic exposé on the mortgage scandal that brought on the 2007 recession. As a former writer on Saturday Night Live, he turned current events into biting satire. That skill comes in handy with his innate handling of a bleak period in time that most people would like to forget but are still curious about the behind-the-scenes scoop. With a well-researched script, Adams tackles the sordid details of a cunning, ambitious man who ran the country into the ground.

Sam Rockwell stars as George W. Bush in Adam McKay’s VICE, an Annapurna Pictures release. Credit : Matt Kennedy / Annapurna Pictures
2018 © Annapurna Pictures, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Hats off to McKay and the casting director (Francine Maisler, The Revenant) for assembling a stellar ensemble: Chameleon actor Christian Bale (The Machinist, Rescue Dawn, The Dark Knight) embodies Richard Bruce “Dick” Cheney in every frame. Yes, he gained the weight, grayed his hair and donned the glasses. But the full effect of his uncanny portrayal is in his low, gravelly voice, the bent over head, slouching posture and very deliberate walk that evoke the film’s central figure in the eeriest way. It’s an impressive transformation, not to be confused with being an impersonation. For many audience members, Bale’s uncanny Cheney aura is the image of the VP that will linger.

Though Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Moon) doesn’t look like George W. Bush, his interpretation of the party boy turned governor and gullible president is dead-on. The friendly Texas accent and accommodating demeanor sets him up to be the naïve rooster who invites a fox into his henhouse. Amy Adams gives certain power to the very demanding, king-maker wife Lynne Cheney. Steve Carell’s depiction of Donald Rumsfeld—businessman, congressman, White House Chief of Staff, Secretary of Defense and co-architect of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq—rings true.

LisaGay Hamilton as Condoleezza Rice in Adam McKay’s VICE, an Annapurna Pictures release. Credit : Matt Kennedy / Annapurna Pictures
2018 © Annapurna Pictures, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The rest of the key players in the Nixon/Ford/Bush administrations are recreated with distinct performances aided by McKay’s instinctual direction: Condoleezza Rice (LisaGay Hamilton); Scooter Libby (Justin Kirk); Gerald Ford (Bill Camp); Rush Limbaugh (Bob Stephenson); Roger Ailes (Kyle S. More); Liz Cheney (Lily Rabe), Mary Cheney (Alison Pill) and Colin Powell (Tyler Perry).

If that long list of characters seems vaguely familiar but you don’t quite remember who was zooming who, then Vice will set you straight. Not only does it give a closeup view of Dick Cheney and his agenda, it threads together all the people and machinations that led the country into a misguided war in the aftermath of 9/11 and a severe financial crisis.

McKay’s script is clear. It’s easy enough to follow the trail of lies, deceit and power plays. Easy to track Cheney’s backstory and the high and low points in his life: flunked out of Yale, a blue-collar job, an internship in Nixon administration, heart attacks, adjusting to having a lesbian daughter and a stint as the CEO of Halliburton, the company that received a billions-of-dollars no-bid contract for reconstruction work in Iraq.

McKay’s wink and nod direction makes a trainload of facts, figures and individuals easy to digest. Even if what he is presenting is obviously one-sided and almost as pitiless as the main character. The writer/director’s very smirky comic touch adds a teaspoon of sugar to some very bitter medicine.

Looking over McKay’s shoulder is the very skilled editor Hank Corwin (The Big Short) who masterfully pieces together humorous, dramatic and informative scenes with cutaways to provocative images (e.g. a heart beating on its own) into a visually engaging montage.

The artful photography is courtesy of cinematographer Greig Fraser’s (Lion) discerning eye. Susan Matheson’s (The Big Short) costume design screams Republican: She must have depleted Brooks Brothers entire stash of dowdy gray suits. In the few moments when the proceedings lose verve, Nicholas Britell’s (Moonlight) over-the-top musical score pipes in and raises the energy level back to mild hysteria.

Red state audiences will yawn. Blue state audiences will be outraged and see parallels with the current administration. What both sides of the aisle will witness is a barrage of revealing information about politicians and events that significantly changed history—not necessarily for the better.

Visit NNPA News Wire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

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OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

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January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

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Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.