Earlier today the first wave of Los Angeles critics and columnists saw Adam McKay‘s Vice (Annapurna, 12.25). The tweets say that Christian Bale is great as the demonic and Machievelllian Dick Cheney (but then we all had that idea from the trailer) and that the film itself is quite nervy, audacious, provocative.

Variety‘s Kris Tapley: “Christian Bale might be in line to receive his second Academy Award to date, for his uncanny portrayal of former Vice President Dick Cheney [and] the film packs an infuriating punch as McKay writes history with lightning yet again. The question [is] whether we’re ready to dissect it all.

“Is the movegoing audience — indeed, are Academy voters — ready to take stock of all this chapter in history with [today’s] depressing news glowing up at us from our mobile devices on a daily basis? It would be a hell of a time to hand someone an Oscar for portraying this particular man, and that takes nothing from Bale’s brilliant work.

“By the same token, Vice could be argued as the most urgent and important film in the race this year. One just wonders if the stomach is there for it.”

Indiewire’s Anne Thompson: “No matter what happens to Vice in the public arena, actors will adore this crazy political movie.” In other words, Thompson foresees possibly adverse reactions from Joe and Jane Popcorn, and possibly even from certain critics.

Some day, of course, there will be a rich, juicy Donald Trump movie for everyone to savor.