The real lesson of Christian Bale's transformation into Dick Cheney

It's time for Hollywood to retire the yo-yo diet

Christian Bale.
(Image credit: Greig Fraser / Annapurna Pictures 2018)

Christian Bale got fat. Why are we so impressed?

The two-time Sexiest Actor Alive gained some 40 pounds to play Dick Cheney in Vice. Photos of the "incredible" transformation have been rocketing around the internet for months. While a dash of makeup and some prosthetics certainly helped, Bale's physique alone is apparently so convincing that even negative reviews of the film have begrudgingly acknowledged the accomplishment: "Vice is exhausting, but Bale's something to behold," writes The Associated Press. The A.V. Club damns with this faint praise: "Christian Bale's Dick Cheney impression is the only virtue of the glib, superficial Vice."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.