The corporations whined and complained, but ultimately decided that 18 percent was a lot better than nothing. What makes the campaign more personal for her is that Pat Candy is working for Rivera--their professional and personal history goes all the way back to her first-ever political campaign. [10] On October 13, 2014, Participant Media announced that they would co-finance the film with Warner, while Jeffrey Skoll and Jonathan King would executive produce, along with Bullock and Stuart M. Our Brand Is Crisis still could have been an excellent tale, but told through a soft prism of second chances and good intentions, we can't buy what Green is selling. During a focus group for the ad in which he catches and holds up several people, its clear the ad does not resonate with anybody. 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. She is unable to breath and is using an oxygen mask on the car ride to campaign headquarters. Jane tells him this is the way of politics, and its not her job to solve problems after the election. In the city, Eddie is hanging Castillo posters. Castillo is frustrated and wants to hear what Jane has planned for the campaign. We get on Janes adrenaline kick when she wins, but the movie rarely questions the deeper ramifications of her actions. It is only after Bodine arranges for the distribution of a flyer accusing Castillo of a long-ago affair (and blaming it on the opposition) does she finally get him to agree to smear his opponents. She really truly does.). Eddie is delivering a framed photograph to now President-Elect Castillos Senate offices. The study of crisis management originated with large-scale industrial and environmental disasters in the 1980s. Negative ads are now running for Castillos campaign. The problem is that they do such a good job selling this Jane that they do exactly what theyre supposed to do: They make you curious about her. But the filmmakers invent an antagonist of near-mythic stature to make her lust for a win: Billy Bob Thorntons Pat Candy, who works for the leading candidate. Still offensive? The film starts with Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) being interviewed. Once a political idealist, she increasingly was a strategist for hire outwardly not caring about the actual politics of her boss. The front-runner, Victor Rivera, is a populist who is appealing to the basest emotions of that poor electorate. The political comedy Our Brand Is Crisis stars Sandra Bullock as an American campaign strategist hired to work for a Bolivian presidential candidate. Available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Apple, Vudu and others. Bush strategist Lee Atwater, who by his own reported deathbed admission was an unholy monster, and to this day keeps afloat the brand of George W. Bush strategist Karl Rove. They then shoot the head of the Rivera doll Candy had left, and it breaks his window. Cut back to the interview that opened the film. 17-Down, Three Letters: Party for One artist Carly ___ Jepsen. Karen Kunawicz. 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. Director David Gordon Green Writers Rachel Boynton (suggested by the documentary) Peter Straughan (screenplay) Stars Sandra Bullock You want to know how the Janes of the world happen. Our Brand Is Crisis review - dirty political dealings in South America. Please share it with your friends rnum=Math.round(Math.random() * 100000); Beyond needing to adjust to her relocation to La Paz however temporary, Jane knows that she has to transform the thinking of the populace to making them want Castillo as their leader as opposed to changing Castillo to something he inherently is not. And yet in David Gordon Greens tale of political fixers, Our Brand Is Crisis, he wants to find hope. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. Some of her pranks, specifically one ploy to feed her candidates unsuspecting competitor a Nazi quotation during the campaigns final debate, are good for a laugh. At a large debate with all the candidates, Jane is found behind the stage backdrop during the debate. Answer, spin doctors / truth and lies in political campaigns, how marketing strategies are use to manipulate the opinions of voters, evaluate the claim that theres only one wrong in political campaigns and thats losing, evaluate the comment, if you fight monsters too long, you become one, VOTINGDo Christians have an obligation to vote? Both Bullock and Thornton portray Carvillesque characters (and the bald Thornton looks the part). Castillo wins the vote by a small margin. She tells him shes going home tomorrow. He suggests maybe later they can go out. Though not without its entertaining momentsthe cast, led by Sandra Bullock, is energetic, sharp and gets a fair number of juicy bits to rock out with. The opposition's top political consultant is her nemesis, fellow American Pat Candy. Before I address the message, Ill review the content. Jane says that Pat Candy is behind the fliers. She reveals she has had mental issues before and suffered from depression. There is only one wrong thing to do, she says: Losing. Goni fled the country five days later, and now lives in exile in the U.S., which has refused to extradite him to Bolivia to face trial for extrajudicial killings and other crimes against humanity. 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. [11] More casting was also announced, which included Reynaldo Pacheco, Dominic Flores, Louis Arcella, and Octavio Gmez. Fliers are discovered, authored by the La Paz Grassroots that say Castillo had a three year affair. I love stories of politics as theaterthe stagecraft, scripting, wardrobe choices, and focus group testing of absurd commercials. Since 2013, the study of English and history has dropped by a third; the number of STEM degrees, meanwhile, is soaring. The crisis, when it came . The deeply disappointed Eduardo visits Bodine in her hotel; Bodine replies that she is not responsible for Castillo's actions. When Bodine realizes that she brought a liar into office, she has the car stopped and leaves to join Eduardo. In a restaurant, Jane sits alone until Candy sits next to her. During the debate, Nell observes how charming Rivera is, while the team watches stage left. She tells Castillo and the campaign that this is no longer an election, it is a crisis. But the fact that it wants to also squeeze in a redemptive tale. Vanessa Bryant Settles Helicopter-Crash Photo Lawsuit for $28.85 Million. Jane is a broken prizefighter who has been called into the ring for one last round. While it would have been nice if the supporting characters were just as well developed (Candys entire purpose seems to be to enter a scene, taunt Jane, and then leave), Jane is a compelling figure, and its unfortunate that the film doesnt match her complexity. Another screenshot shows Castillo has 10% to Riveras 39% with 80 days until election day. For those who want more detail, I have written a paragraph below containing spoilers. Bodine and her crew join Candy on the way to the airport. Gonis second term as president barely lasted a year, after his plans to allow an international consortium to build a pipeline and ship Bolivian natural gas to North America at dirt-cheap prices sparked a massive popular uprising. ***SPOILER*** Castillo wins the election, and immediately breaks all his promises and turns out to be a tyrant. Jane insists to the campaign team that this was set up by Candy. Directed by David Gordon Green. Answer, Does HIGH MORAL CHARACTER matter in political leaders? It also sets up a Hollywood ending that all but wrecks the movie. It's a game that has a real impact on people's lives, but a game nonetheless. Janes voice is heard saying, If you dont like the road youre on, start paving a new one.. Oct. 29, 2015. Crisis management examples are easy to find these days: We've seen Uber lose 200,000 users in the wake of #DeleteUber and United lose $800 million in value in just a few hours. A one-stop-shop for all things video games. 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. Plot out uproarious long-shot tricks against his opponents that always seem to work out even better than hoped? Candy says he will be going to overseas for a British campaign. This is a competent film that shows how foxy political campaigns can be. Eddie replies, what about you? Thats the problem with focusing a story on the diabolical strategist, the one mythical figure in this godforsaken political system whos got it all figured out. [21] It had a wide release in 2,202 theaters for 21 days. Our Brand is Crisis was one of these pleasant surprises. However, Castillo refuses to give permission for the team to do so. The interviewer says shes been known by many names, most notably Calamity Jane. She moved to a mountain cabin, stopped smoking, got sober, and started doing pottery. She spends the night in jail. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Scoot McNairy, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Ann Dowd and Joaquim de Almeida. [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". On a bus trip to a mountainous countryside, protesters start throwing rocks at the bus. A graphic shows with 24 days left until the election, Castillo has 19% and Rivera has 30%. Mick LaSalle is the film critic for the San . Some reviews said it was ambiguous. Before long the SUV comes to a stop in the heavy traffic on the tiny streets. 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. Yet you really have to read between the lines and dig into the subtext of Straughans screenplay to perceive the issues that drove Boyntons film. Entertaining and provocative, Our Brand Is Crisis is a satirical political drama. [19] Additional filming occurred in Puerto Rico and Bolivia. Rated R I have to rate it Offensive, due to its foul language, several blasphemies, and Sandra Bullocks bare hiny. Preview", "Star-Driven Casualties 'Our Brand Is Crisis' & 'Burnt' At The B.O. 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. In its best moments, Our Brand Is Crisis is reminiscent of Wag the Dog; it knows how fucked politics is and acts accordingly. And Im not talking about content issues, like language or nudity, Im talking about the message the movie preaches at the audience. Finally, she meets with Castillo for their first conversation. All rights reserved. It already has. "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. Things you buy through our links may earnNew Yorka commission. The reality of U.S. politics is dominated not so much by incompetent leaders as mortals who lack the requisite superpowers needed to steer the ship of state. [24], On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 35% based on 147 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. Thornton is sleek, clammy, and leering. Castillo tells her she needs professional help for wanting to do anything to win. 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. Mick LaSalle. And while the role of Calamity Jane smacks of Sandra Bullocks brandingthe smart but painfully self-conscious klutz whos also a depressiveits a complicated, maybe even feminist shtick. When people say its a communist movie, I think they are hugely misunderstanding the movies point. The insistent, intrusive music score by David Wingo doesnt help matters, and neither do the too-many subsequent montages, all of which are of the always mistaken We Need A Montage variety. "Wake up, this is war. The interviewer says she's been known by many names, most notably "Calamity Jane". 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. Thats why in a time of ever-greater political chaos, the character rings so false. 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 . Maybe Carville and the Clintonocracy were empowering democracy after all, even if it wasnt quite the variety they intended. Its educational and leaves you with serious thoughts about political power. Ben admires a shiny dark bowl but Nell takes it from him. There are also two middle finger displays. It's a case study, if nothing else, of starting with a dubious idea and making it downright awful. A llama is shown getting hit by a car. [3], The film opened on October 30, 2015, alongside Burnt and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. Although the movie has flashes where everything comes together and we can revel in dark victories, more often than not, star Sandra Bullock is left to carry the crushing emotional and thematic weight of a confused picture that acknowledges that politics is a cheap joke, and then expects us all to laugh. PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here. The film gives a fictionalized account of the involvement of American political campaign strategists Greenberg Carville Shrum (GCS) in the 2002 Bolivian presidential election. As one of his first actions, he invites the IMF into Bolivia, thereby breaking his promise. She quotes, It may be alright to have a power that is based on guns. Nevertheless, theres not much reason for you to take my word over theirs. 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. The emotional investment Green wants to make in Jane feels misplaced, especially since he also wants to celebrate moments when she behaves abhorrently. 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. Like before, it came from La Paz Grassroots, but this time it really did come from Candy. But once in Bolivia, shes sidelined by acute altitude sickness (the flight down is accompanied by a primer on the geography and general stressed disposition of the place), and hence unable to immediately show her Sun-Tzu-informed genius to uptight candidate Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida). [2/4], Barbara Vancheri, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, would be perfect humanist, socialist, anti-capitalist propaganda except its a bit disjointed Abhorrent at least 61 obscenities rear female nudity when woman on bus moons other bus, crass, grimy and not sure of its own message burdens itself with foul language and sexual allusions, spoiling some pretty great performances from Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton. They make big promises that mean jack shit. Getting hurt is unavoidable, she tells him. Comedy Drama 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. The film is directed by David. Let me know how that goes. Jane then joins the mass of people who are walking toward the city. She is then seen in the middle of the protest, and sees Eddie. 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. ------------------------------------------. At another meeting with advisors, its revealed the crisis message is working, but not so well that it will win the election. That remains a question shrouded in mystery, but we could probably come up with some decent guesses. It is revealed that she retired after violating election laws. LeBlanc finds even more dirt on Rivera, but Jane tells her to focus everything on finding dirt on Castillo. 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. Sandra Bullock (who shares producer credits with, among others, George Clooney and Grant Heslov) is the reclusive political strategist Calamity Jane Bodine, who turned her back on her profession after one dirty trick too many. One of the llamas is hit by a truck. Unfortunately, the quote is actually from Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's minister of propaganda. We know this stuff happens, but its still clarifying to see the curtains pulled back. 1h 47m. It is revealed that she retired after violating election laws. Rivera is on, holding two babies during a campaign stop, confessing how hes doubly lucky, and promises to run a positive campaign. Jane is goaded by patronizing men into proving herself in ways shes not proud of. Morales government has dramatically reduced poverty and inequality, and presided over one of the worlds fastest-growing economies, right through the crash of 2008. Back at the hotel room, Jane is with Eddie and his brothers, ordering room service and still drunk. There's only one wrong in this, only one, and that is losing!". 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.. [6] On September 15, Billy Bob Thornton joined the film,[7] and on September 18, Anthony Mackie joined the cast. Digital rental or purchase allows you to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on your favorite devices. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Maybe, kinda. Played for laughs? And in the real Bolivian election of 02, there was no rivalry between warring American spin doctors working for different candidates, because Goni was the only candidate who got that kind of help, in clear preference to his populist opponents on both the right and left. Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant strategist, pulse reader and marketing mind. A shame, then, that the movie loses its cynical nerve with an utterly phoney finale that ties itself up in conscientious knots. Um, yes. Our Brand Is Crisis is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by David Gordon Green and written by Peter Straughan, based on the 2005 documentary film of the same name by Rachel Boynton. 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. (The daughter killed herself as a result.). Illustration by Hudson Christie. Yes, this is a movie where a diabolical character is given the surname Candy, and what can you really say? A bra is used as a slingshot, and two shirtless men are briefly shown. Even worse, it turns out to be a humanist, socialist, anti-capitalist message about "the people" rising up to establish some sort of vague communist brotherhood centered . Since The War Room, the omnipotent, omniscient celebrity political consultant has been portrayed again and again. This was the lowest wide release opening of Bullock's career, beating 1996's Two If by Sea ($4.7 million). I found the film to be very interesting, and all the cast put on some of their best performances Ive seen. It casts a skeptical eye at the gospel of globalization thats preached by Janes team, but its outrage is more directed at cynicism than at any specific system. By what name was Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) officially released in India in English? Carville and Greenberg won that election for Goni, after shifting the entire theme of his campaign to the crisis mantra, but maybe they should have vetted their candidate a little better. Principal photography began on September 29, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She offers to reluctantly resign, but Castillo keeps her on. And even hes not even that close. Our Brand Is Crisis Review: Champions of Cynicism | TIFF 2015. George Clooney and Grant Heslov produced. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. Castillo says its in the past, and that his wife knows about it, but Jane claims the perception will be that hes an adulterer. Someone smashes an egg on Castillo, who spectacularly punches the assailant. After this incident, however, Castillo shows the other side of him by being kind to protesters who throw rocks at his bus. The boys (all adult age) are living alone because their parents have both died. In Bolivia, altitude sickness (at 12 thousand feet, La Paz is the worlds highest capital) and sickness with the candidate nearly drive her away. 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. When she starts giving it back to himpsyching him outthe movie gets really good. Right before the debate with the 3 leading candidates, Jane is sitting alone in the lecture hall, reading Faust by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, and is soon joined by Candy. His name is too long with her so she just calls him Eddie. Outside, a large groan is heard. Hollywood loves it some Ragin Cajun, because hes the closest real-life approximation to the magical political consultant of its dreams. Later, two senior advisors argue the crisis brand may have worked with the current crowd, but it wont with the working class. Our Brand is Crisis (2015) (964) 6.1 1 h 47 min 2015 X-Ray R. A Bolivian presidential candidate failing in the polls enlists the firepower of an elite American management team, led by the deeply damaged but still brilliant strategist Jane Bodine. The train begins to leave and Candy is furious. Eventually Eddie sees her and they make eye contact. Its also revealed that Candy is the one who ran over the llama during the commercial shoot. Janes sidekicksplayed by Anthony Mackie, Ann Dowd, Scoot McNairy, and Zoe Kazancant make a dent in Castillos mixture of machismo, cluelessness, and the kind of self-serving patriarchal worldview that regards Bolivias indigenous population as a bunch of children who dont know whats good for them. The film was screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. "Our Brand is Crisis" was one of these pleasant surprises. Ben says, ok. Filmcast "Our Brand is Crisis" November 6, 2015 Laura Seaman Features , Filmcast , Movies [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Join Laura Seaman as she reviews " Our Brand is Crisis " and previews " Spectre " and " The Peanuts Movie " on this week's episode of Filmcast. Policy doesnt even enter into the conversation; its more about scoring points by making your opponent look like a Nazi sympathizer simply by virtue of a doctored photograph. When Bullocks passionately advocating goes negative, or Thorntons smirkingly plays Mephistopheles to her from across their hotel balconytheyre close enough to speak to each other directly, but insist on staying on their cell phonesthe movie builds up an infectious energy. It starts out with big promises and ends up with jackshit happening.". Some said it was staunchly communist. They just decided to be ingratiating and sentimental. Castillo promises the people that will happen if hes elected. The campaign believes Castillo should apologize as soon as possible but Jane disagrees. [4] It was theatrically released by Warner Bros. on October 30, 2015. [13] On December 11, 2013, Sandra Bullock was in early talks to star in the film, while Clooney chose not to direct, and his starring in the film was also unconfirmed at that time. [2/4], Sandra Bullock is the best part of this wobbly farce As a look at the state of the art of political campaigning (in the US as well as in Bolivia), Our Brand Is Crisis does not cut particularly deep and the ending isnt great. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. They even resort to publishing photos of their enemy with Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie in the background, so that he has to deny being a Nazi. Her words are intercut with footage of newspaper headlines and, oddly, shots of Bullocks hands molding clay at a pottery wheel. [26] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale. . The website's critical consensus reads, "Our Brand Is Crisis offers sporadic amusement and benefits from a talented cast, but ultimately lacks enough of a bite to add much of interest to the political satire genre.

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