document.write(ts+'script src="http://www.burstnet.com/cgi-bin/ads/ad12539a.cgi/v=2.3S/sz=728x90A|970x66A/'+rnum+'/'+nf+'RETURN-CODE/JS/">'+ts+'/script>'); You can send in your spoiler to other movies by going here. She tells Nell she needs to pull some string with her contacts at the Bolivian State Department, in order to take votes from Castillo, and give them to Volasco (another candidate). Facing a general strike and a series of confrontations between soldiers and protesters that left at least 67 civilians dead, Goni imposed martial law in October 2003, and the U.S. State Department issued a statement offering its full support. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. 2/4[], Our Brand Is Crisis fun until it gets serious For too long, the stakes play second fiddle to the strategists and even the candidates remain too elusive to make the audience care as much as it should. Rivera is on, holding two babies during a campaign stop, confessing how hes doubly lucky, and promises to run a positive campaign. The Weeknd responded to a Rolling Stone story claiming the show is a rape fantasy with a clip of his character calling the mag irrelevant. A one-stop-shop for all things video games. She then offers money to the driver to overtake the Rivera bus. This movie offers us the tale of the fall and redemption of an unscrupulous white lady -- who we know cannot really be unscrupulous since shes Sandra Bullock. Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. Our Brand is Crisis was released across all major streaming and cable platforms on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. GCS brings in Jane Bodine to manage the campaign in Bolivia--battling her arch-nemesis, the opposition's political consultant Pat Candy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Illustration by Hudson Christie. In its best moments, Our Brand Is Crisis is reminiscent of Wag the Dog; it knows how fucked politics is and acts accordingly. Verdict. [3], The film opened on October 30, 2015, alongside Burnt and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. [2/4], The effort by Our Brand Is Crisis director David Gordon Green and writer Peter Straughan to turn the 2005 documentary of the same name into a light comedy with touches of romance and political hijinks leave the fictional version a poor candidate in the box office race. They just decided to be ingratiating and sentimental. A battle-hardened American political consultant is sent to help re-elect a controversial president in Bolivia, where she must compete with a long-term rival working for another candidate. A bus race ensues around dangerous bends and cliffs. Its educational and leaves you with serious thoughts about political power. Soon enough she is smoking, drinking, and scheming again, signaling to the viewer that shes back to her antiheroic winning ways. Janes voice is heard saying, If you dont like the road youre on, start paving a new one.. The deeply disappointed Eduardo visits Bodine in her hotel; Bodine replies that she is not responsible for Castillo's actions. Joaquim de Almeida - Castillo. Jane says the llama cant stand the commercial so badly, he killed himself. (Vice) President Selina Meyers (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has a stable of advisers including Dan Egan (Reid Scott) and Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons) who have internalized and aspire to the Carville cult; its just that reality interrupts to remind them that things dont work like that. Meanwhile, the senior advisors (Ben, Nell and others) talk about Jane and Candy, how they had sex previously, and how she spread a rumor during a campaign that Candys candidates daughter was on drugs. Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant strategist, pulse reader and marketing mind. Janes cynicismshe regards herself, the candidate, and everyone else as a pawnis so over-the-top that it threatens to derail Our Brand is Crisis: Who cares about the election if she doesnt? The film is directed by David. Our Brand is Crisis hits a lot of clunky notes and the end is unforgivably cornball, but it's still one of the liveliest political black comedies I've seen in a while. [6] On September 15, Billy Bob Thornton joined the film,[7] and on September 18, Anthony Mackie joined the cast. Critic Kenneth Turan has this review. When it does, Jane moons the Rivera bus. Our Brand Is Crisis. Castillo's American consultants, knowing that they need ideas outside the box, recruit "retired" political strategist "Calamity" Jane Bodine, who has lived somewhat off the grid and has not worked on a political campaign in six years. Castillo has won the election. Read full review SEE ALL 35 REVIEWS User Score Write a Review 6.4 Positive: 23 Our Brand is Crisis is more than just the scenario Jane (Sandra Bullock) is selling to the Bolivian public in hopes of bringing her candidate Castillo from a blip on the radar to leading the. Both Bullock and Thornton portray Carvillesque characters (and the bald Thornton looks the part). Politics is a dirty business, but Our Brand Is Crisis doesn't stick its hands into the muck sufficiently to be as entertaining or stinging as it could be. Jane is elated and tells the communication team to talk to the press and inform them Rivera just used a quote from Joseph Goebbels, the head Nazi propaganda minister. Busy Phillips Is Not Like a Regular Mom, Shes a Cool Mom, Theres nothing wrong with Busy Phillips being cast as Mrs. George in the upcoming, In Search of Tom and Katies Bubba Painting, Maybe punting on the larger plot can be forgiven if we get a sweet. Boynton traveled to Bolivia to cover the activity of a high-priced U.S. consulting firm, Greenberg Carville, and Shrum, in the 2002 presidential race, and she had amazingfrankly, flabbergastingaccess. for language including some sexual references. Later shell claim he got the room intentionally to get under her skin. Director David Gordon Green Writers Rachel Boynton (suggested by the documentary) Peter Straughan (screenplay) Stars Sandra Bullock Around the edges of this story about Bullocks character, an especially ruthless consultant known as Calamity Jane, there are a few intriguing hints of other stories about the international financial system, the power of fear in politics and the American understanding of what democracy means when applied to other people in other countries. Its cute for a while. Ben admires a shiny dark bowl but Nell takes it from him. It is considered to be the most important process in public relations." This is yet another film that could have been PG (maybe PG-13 due to a mooning scene) with a cleaner script. Our Brand is Crisis hits a lot of clunky notes and the end is unforgivably cornball, but its still one of the liveliest political black comedies Ive seen in a while. . On April 22, 2007, it was announced that George Clooney would produce a dramatization of the 2005 documentary Our Brand Is Crisis, along with Grant Heslov, and Warner Bros. would handle American distribution rights. But the main mystery to me was the message of this film. She opens with footage of an anti-government riot that came less than a year after the election. Toronto Film Review: 'Our Brand Is Crisis' Sandra Bullock plays a ruthless political stategist in a role inspired by Rachel Boynton's docu and intended for producer George Clooney to play. OUR BRAND IS CRISIS barely holds together as the story moves from campaign incident to campaign incident. He is currently 28 points behind. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. By what name was Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) officially released in India in English? Loosely based on true events, "Our Brand Is Crisis," follows Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) and her campaign team when they are hired to help Pedro Castillo win a presidential election in Bolivia. Candys played by Billy Bob Thornton, and his serpentine southern charm and minimalist tonsorial stylings suggest real-life political maven James Carville (and it is perhaps no accident that Thornton played a deep-fried political strategist in Primary Colors, too) who was in the aforementioned documentary. Since 2006, Bolivia has been governed by Evo Morales, the indigenous leader whose protest movement led to Gonis downfall. [17][18] Filming also took place in the Bonnet Carr Spillway in Norco in St. Charles Parish. He says the people in the village dont understand that yet. David Gordon Green keeps the perspectives shifting, getting lots of good angles on this three-ring circus. The 2005 Our Brand Is Crisis was the second documentary about Carville's political work, following 1993's The War Room, in addition to Carville's dramatic acting rsum and cable news career.. Maybe, kinda. Mick LaSalle. Our Brand is Crisis was one of these pleasant surprises. Nevertheless, theres not much reason for you to take my word over theirs. Thornton is sleek, clammy, and leering. 2023's Most Anticipated Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-offs. It received mixed reviews, despite Bullock's performance being largely praised, and was a box office disappointment. From there, Jane uses every trick at her disposal to try and beat Candy. Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) Plot Showing all 5 items Jump to: Summaries (4) Synopsis (1) Summaries A battle-hardened American political consultant is sent to help re-elect a controversial president in Bolivia, where she must compete with a long-term rival working for another candidate. This Friday, Sandra Bullock assumes the role in Our Brand Is Crisis, a mostly satirical take on a 2005 documentary of the same name about American political consultants conquest of a Bolivian election. Greens last three picturesPrince Avalanche, Joe, and Manglehornfelt like personal indie films, and Our Brand Is Crisis seems like an attempt to reach back into the mainstream with a mix of comedy and pathos, and yet it also comes off like a journeyman feature. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. When Bodine realizes that she brought a liar into office, she has the car stopped and leaves to join Eduardo. Some said it was staunchly communist. [11] More casting was also announced, which included Reynaldo Pacheco, Dominic Flores, Louis Arcella, and Octavio Gmez. So they cop out, closing on an unlikely, feel-good character turn for Bodine. That's true even in "Our Brand Is Crisis," a . That was almost certainly the final straw. Several candidates separate the two. The protest is growing in the city. On a table she finds a Rivera doll. Privacy Policy and OUR BRAND IS CRISIS NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jason The film starts with Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) being interviewed. In addition, there are 20+ f-words, s-words (19), and one each of a**, SOB, p*ssed, p*ssy, b*stard, b***h, tw*t, cr*p, and t*rd. "Our Brand Is Crisis" is both the title of and a line from a new political comedy about American consultants who take over a Bolivian presidential campaign. "Our Brand Is Crisis" is a fictionalized treatment of the 2005 documentary of the same name, which focused on Bill Clinton's former campaign manager James Carville. Jane yells out the window to Candy that Rivera has dropped 6 points. Jane next starts a rumor that Rivera is a Nazi, based on no real facts, but a fuzzy picture showing him with Nazi propaganda. Played for laughs? Bullocks Jane Bodine offers nothing new. At first Jane is defensive, claiming that she was just doing her job, but soon her heart is softened as she realizes the mess she helped to make. Jane says that Pat Candy is behind the fliers. David Gordon Greens uneven Wag the Dog-style satirical political romp takes both its title and theme from Rachel Boyntons 2005 documentary about the role played by the gun-for-hire American consultants in the 2002 Bolivian elections. It already has. The deception disgusts her. Mimicking the behavior in the actresss previous film, Minions, Jane is shown mooning a bus. Back at Janes hotel, Ben calls and informs her there will be a protest downtown. [3] The film opened on October 30, 2015, alongside Burnt and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. Bullock plays Calamity Jane Bodine, a legendary practitioner of the dark political arts who comes out of semi-retirement to navigate the hapless ex-president back to the top job. Whats ultimately most frustrating is the evidence that the makers of this movie were fully capable of creating something as smart and ruthless as its lead character. Among the many achievements of HBOs Veep is its discovery of a new, post-Carville political consultant character, one thats just as cuttingly entertaining but truer to reality. Candy is outside the hotel in his chauffeur-driven SUV and offers Jane, Ben, and Nell a ride to the airport. Heres my idea for a Hollywood ending: People are inspired to seek out Boyntons great documentary, which throws a spotlight on one of Americas least-known but most consequential exports. She is approached by Candy, who tells her hes surprised shes working on an unwinnable campaign. NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jason. Their main tactic is to emphasize the many problems of the economy and present Castillo as the solution. Its only when the camera is on top of him that we see the pool of blood. We root for Jane to win and feel guilty for caring more about the game than the country. An young actress expresses concern with her part in the ad, which requires her to be caught by Castillo. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. As a result of this, Castillo agrees to start running a negative campaign. They plan to frighten the people, with the aim of persuading them to vote for the unsympathetic but known Castillo rather than the younger opposition candidates. Castillo is frustrated and wants to hear what Jane has planned for the campaign. While Rivera is still speaking aboard a train, Jane poses as a worker for the Rivera campaign and tells the conductor the speech is over. She is unable to breath and is using an oxygen mask on the car ride to campaign headquarters. The pottery business is explained forthwith, lest were worried about some Ghost influence. Somebody on the Castillo bus says Jane has a great ass! (And she does. She offers to reluctantly resign, but Castillo keeps her on. There are very occasional crude sexual references. We know this stuff happens, but its still clarifying to see the curtains pulled back. They then shoot the head of the Rivera doll Candy had left, and it breaks his window. "Wake up, this is war. Um, yes. An SUV carrying the Castillo advisors sees him and stop to give him a ride home, insisted upon by Jane. When shes recruited for a chance to face off in Bolivia against her longtime and similarly depraved rival, Pat Candyportrayed convincingly enough as a stock Billy Bob Thornton character by Billy Bob Thorntonshe signs up. Although she was once a wunderkind of the political strategy community, she lost her last four campaigns, the speculation that being the reason she dropped out of sight. Outside, a large groan is heard. After a traumatizing career as a political campaign consultant, Bodine has retired to the snowy mountains, where she doesnt smoke and makes bowls. During the final debate, Bodine cites a quote in a conversation with Candy (knowing that he'll give it to rival candidate Rivera for his speech) saying that "a great man" said it. As president in the mid-90s, he had pursued a controversial two-level strategy, extending constitutional rights and policy reforms aimed at Bolivias large indigenous population while also embarking on a widespread campaign of privatization that sold off state-owned industries and natural resources to foreign capital. This satire, directed by David Gordon Green from a screenplay by Peter Straughan, suffers from deficits of wit, wisdom, focus, filmmaking expertise and appropriate tone. After he does this, Castillo gives Eddie his cufflinks to hold, and it is clear Eddie idolizes him. This is the meaning of the title. His loyalty comes mostly from the fact that Castillo, who was president at the time, took a young Eduardo on his arm during a rally in his town. In the city, Eddie is hanging Castillo posters. Ben says, ok. Were not supposed to earnestly admire any of these people, but we are supposed to guiltily admire their unfailing ability to guide impossible undertakings, such as the practice of politics, to victory through whatever means. Bodine and her crew join Candy on the way to the airport. The front-runner, Victor Rivera, is a populist who is appealing to the basest emotions of that poor electorate. They talk about the book and Mephistopheles, with whom Faust makes a wager for his soul. The interviewer talks about his son. Available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Apple, Vudu and others. Its yoked to an impoverished Bolivian teenager who believesdespite the angry effusions of his brother and friends in their hillside slumthat Castillo is sincere in trying to bring about economic equality. The 2005 Our Brand Is Crisis was the second documentary about Carvilles political work, following 1993s The War Room, in addition to Carvilles dramatic acting rsumand cable news career. Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton go head to head as strategists in a patchy satire about the 2002 Bolivian elections. Its pretty powerful, actually. She tells Castillo and the campaign that this is no longer an election, it is a crisis. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. The train begins to leave and Candy is furious. It starts out with big promises and ends up with jackshit happening.". Bodine used to be the best in the game, but an unfortunate series of events during a campaign destroyed her reputation and confidence. [23], Eric Kohn from Indiewire wrote that the movie is all about Bullock's performance, saying "she imbues her part with a ferocious energy that constantly elevates the straightforward material". What sealed the deal was that she will be coming up against her long-time arch-nemesis, Pat Candy. They make a sling shot out of clothes and shoot something that splatters against Candys window across the foyer. All rights reserved. The opposition's top political consultant is her nemesis, fellow American Pat Candy. The movie opens with a title sequence regarding the main character Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) and her rise and fall from hotshot political strategist/image . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. And even hes not even that close. 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