Here’s a look at a pair of radically different films that explore how power can corrupt.
The Mule (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated R, 116 minutes, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, $29.99) — Directing legend Clint Eastwood, 88, returned to offer a drama of desperation and drug running in his 43rd film that now arrives on ultra-high definition.
Senior citizen and award-winning horticulturist Earl Stone, a character inspired by a true story, hits hard financial times and unexpectedly hooks up with a Mexican cartel to take long car rides transporting illegal substances for big money.
Life is grand to the point that he can help his estranged family and even save a local VFW hall until the cartel bosses consider him essential personnel and the DEA catches wind of his exploits.
Mr. Eastwood’s acting chops are in full force, including that vicious, curled, “Dirty Harry” lip as he plays a character akin to a wild cousin of Walt Kowalski (the curmudgeon in “Gran Torino”).
He’s a well-intentioned old man, a bit of a bigot and technophobe but also a sad sack narcissist caught in an impossible situation that he stupidly created.
An all-star cast brings this odd tale to life and also features Bradley Cooper and Laurence Fishburne as DEA agents, Andy Garcia as a crime boss and Dianne Wiest as Stone’s ex-wife.
A collection of panoramic landscapes of the American Southwest with majestic mountains and sandy plains are worth admiring in the UHD format.
Better yet, watching Mr. Eastwood’s rugged face and age lines shift that reveal the wisdom, pain and memories of generations is well worth the price of 2160p admission.
Best extras: Viewers only get an 11-minute featurette about the production highlighted by insights from the director, Mr. Cooper, Alison Eastwood (the director’s real daughter and Stone’s daughter in the film) and more crew members.
They include production designer Kevin Ishioka, who had a problem with flowers blooming on demand, and costume designer Deborah Hopper, who actually had Mr. Eastwood wear clothes from his previous films.
Of course, I would have preferred an optional commentary track with Mr. Eastwood, but I’m guessing that at his age and stature, his patience is beyond that level.
Vice (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, rated R, 132 minutes, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, $19.99) — Director Adam McKay’s Academy Award-winning, kinda biographical, absurdist drama about the pivotal member of former President George W. Bush’s Cabinet debuts on Blu-ray after polarizing reviews and a mediocre box-office run.
Mr. McKay’s shotgun-blasting, buckshot-scattering approach to exploring Vice President Dick Cheney’s key life moments drips with political satire and cynicism throughout.
Viewers relive, among many a shuffled scene, the following: Mr. Cheney’s eerie monotone calm and take-control attitude when handling the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as the vice president; his first DUI; his becoming the youngest chief of staff under former President Gerald Ford; his successful congressional run; his nonchalant approach to numerous heart attacks; and his accidental shooting on a hunting trip to name a few.
A fictional narrator named Kurt (an Iraq and Afghanistan combat veteran) pipes in throughout and explains essentially that Mr. Cheney was an opportunist, working in the shadows to set his own political agenda and a man with almost magical powers to sway humans.
He reveled in the unitary executive theory (whatever the president does is legal) and literally became an omniscient influencer, practically a real comic book villain to opponents.
However, the problem with the director’s approach is that it injects a collection of skits and clever cinematic diversions such as Mr. Cheney and his wife performing a Shakespeare-esque scene in bed or faux ending credits rolling 50 minutes into the film that will confuse viewers.
Ultimately, we never really know what’s real, what’s conspiracy, or what’s part of Mr. McKay’s biased agenda.
Actor Christian Bale as Mr. Cheney reportedly gained 40 pounds for the role and perfectly transformed into the roguish, mysterious entity.
He’s amply supported by Amy Adams as his wife Lynne, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell as President George W. Bush, Don McManus as legal counsel David Addington and Tyler Perry as Colin Powell.
Fans of Oliver Stone’s “W.” and “Nixon” will appreciate the spinning layers in “Vice.” It’s never as great as Mr. McKay’s “The Big Short” and certainly a gratuitous insult to the main subject.
I’m not quite sure why it was nominated for Best Picture, other than the Academy, once again, proudly showing off its liberal sleeves.
Best extras: Viewers get a 35-minute overview of the production starring interviews with Mr. McKay, Mr. Bale, Mr. Carell, Mr. Perry and Miss Adams. It covers the creative rationale for a narrator; Mr. Bale finding political sincerity in Cheney; the casting, make-up and prosthetics with Greg Cannom (who won an Oscar for his efforts); 60 years worth of costuming with Susan Matheson; and production design with Patrice Vermette.
Also worth watching are three deleted scenes that include an elaborate musical number (also explained in a separate 5-minute featurette); a 10-minute prequel to the movie focused on Lynne and Dick in high school; and Congressman Cheney taking part in a nuclear war exercise.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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