Answer, Does HIGH MORAL CHARACTER matter in political leaders? [17][18] Filming also took place in the Bonnet Carr Spillway in Norco in St. Charles Parish. Bodine used to be the best in the game, but an unfortunate series of events during a campaign destroyed her reputation and confidence. His slickness fits the milieu. She cares about winning, and the movie reinforces the narrative that politics is just a game. Our Brand is Crisis was released across all major streaming and cable platforms on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. 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. The film, directed by David Gordon Green and based on the 2005 documentary of the same name, follows Bullock's character Jane Bodine, a political mastermind brought in to help a Bolivian. For those who want more detail, I have written a paragraph below containing spoilers. Reluctantly enlisted to help elect the unlikable bully Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida), Jane gets the bit between her teeth when she discovers that her arch-rival, Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), is running the oppositions campaign. Now, the film is so heavily fictionalized that it's much more an emotive or thematic . "Our Brand Is Crisis" is being released by Warner Bros., but was largely funded by Participant Media, which produces what it calls "socially relevant films and documentaries." In other words,. Theres no redemption to be found with the people who are ruining liveswho have no belief in politicians or voters; people who have basically given up on humanity and play with public policy like a kid with a loaded gun. Since Im reviewing this film for its DVD release, Ive already taken into consideration the opinions of other reviewers. 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. Who paid for it? Jane is a broken prizefighter who has been called into the ring for one last round. She may get some help in getting into the mindset of that indigenous poor through a campaign volunteer named Eddie, a Castillo loyalist since he was a young boy much to the chagrin of his friends. In a restaurant, Jane sits alone until Candy sits next to her. Mick LaSalle. [26] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale. Back at the hotel room, Jane is with Eddie and his brothers, ordering room service and still drunk. Jane says that Pat Candy is behind the fliers. Jane and her team had no idea he would do that. I say, beat Candy because Jane doesnt really care that much about Castillo or Bolivia. I have to rate it Offensive, due to its foul language, several blasphemies, and Sandra Bullocks bare hiny. He denies being a member of the cult. In her eyes, her job is done. Thanks for reading the spoiler. Election day. Jane is talking with Nell, and insults her about her dedication to the campaign. Sometimes its both, as in Kathy Bates sharp-tongued, soft-hearted adviser in Primary Colors. They reluctantly agree, but the city is in gridlock due to the protests, which are on the verge of becoming riots. ts=String.fromCharCode(60); After he does this, Castillo gives Eddie his cufflinks to hold, and it is clear Eddie idolizes him. Plot out uproarious long-shot tricks against his opponents that always seem to work out even better than hoped? The rest of the movie is her telling the story of what happened after her resignation. Eduardo, a young volunteer of the Castillo campaign, is deeply impressed by this show of commitment. Who was really paying for their work with Goni, an unpopular former president who had spent much of his life in the United States and spoke Spanish so poorly that Bolivian opponents derided him as El Gringo? More fliers are discovered that claim (with pictures) Castillo is a member of a crazy white-robe wearing cult. But it never keeps the energy up, steering into forced visual gags, dull spells of earnestness, and ponderous backstory psychologythe viewer never is quite sure who really did what to whom in the Candy-Bodine love-hate relationship. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. She then asks who knows English and only a handful of people raise their hands, so LeBlanc must translate. Bodine and her crew join Candy on the way to the airport. 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. This was the lowest wide release opening of Bullock's career, beating 1996's Two If by Sea ($4.7 million). Our Brand Is Crisis review - dirty political dealings in South America. Any empathy the audience feels for the nauseous Bodine is likely explained by . Candy reveals it was him (via a friend of a friend) who anonymously suggested to the Castillo campaign to hire Jane. Ben meets her in the hallway and she immediately says hes not a winner, and he cannot win. Candy is outside the hotel in his chauffeur-driven SUV and offers Jane, Ben, and Nell a ride to the airport. A screenshot shows Castillo at 8% with Rivera leading with 36%. (R. 107 minutes.) There is only one wrong thing to do, she says: Losing. 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. Send your questions or comments about this or any other spoiler to: THEMOVIESPOILER.com. It is considered to be the most important process in public relations." 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). Washed-up political strategist Jane Bodine is hired by a political consultancy to help their client, Senator Castillo, win the Bolivian general election. A senior advisor expresses dismay that she has been hired but all shes doing is sunning herself. A lethally effective charm delivery system, Sandra Bullock doesn't need to do much to win you over. Bodines character loosely channels celebrity political consultant James Carville, one of the Americans who worked on the 2002 Bolivian campaign and a consistent fascination of Hollywood. I need a majority. Loosely based on the 2005 documentary of the same name, Our Brand is Crisis offers a fictionalized take on the 2002 Bolivian Presidential election with a cast that includes Academy Award. Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton go head to head as strategists in a patchy satire about the 2002 Bolivian elections. The front-runner, Victor Rivera, is a populist who is appealing to the basest emotions of that poor electorate. Still offensive? On a bus trip to a mountainous countryside, protesters start throwing rocks at the bus. The film is directed by David. Afterwards, Jane sends 3 Bolivian singers to show up at Candys door. But the fact that it wants to also squeeze in a redemptive tale is completely at odds with the work the protagonist is doing. 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. During the debate, Nell observes how charming Rivera is, while the team watches stage left. Starring Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton. 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. It is a record turnout and at days end, the results are: Castillo 23.5%, Rivera 22.8%, Volasco 21.9%. Jane expresses to Ben that she still gets nauseous whenever she sees Castillo. for language including some sexual references. And sometimesin fact, I daresay oftenyou know about a half hour into a film that youre going to have to censure it. Arriving at Janes house, she explains she has quit smoking and drinking and has focused on pottery. This is the meaning of the title. At a Rivera campaign stop, Jane is seen talking to Candy. Like before, it came from La Paz Grassroots, but this time it really did come from Candy. She doesnt think the man should change to fit the narrative but instead the narrative should change to fit the man. The opposition's top political consultant is her nemesis, fellow American Pat Candy. Carvilles troops were dispatched to La Paz in 02 to consolidate the great victory of liberalism and democracy as they and their sponsors and benefactors understand those things and to resist the rising tide of Latin American leftism represented in Bolivia by the indigenous political leader Evo Morales, Gonis leading opponent. [3] The film opened on October 30, 2015, alongside Burnt and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. The deeply disappointed Eduardo visits Bodine in her hotel; Bodine replies that she is not responsible for Castillo's actions. It needs a strongman who can handle a crisis. He tells a story about a campaign run by Adlai Stevenson in which Stevenson is told everything thinking person would vote for him, to which Stevenson replies that is not enough. Jane says its just a carousel and she was going around and around. 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. This is yet another film that could have been PG (maybe PG-13 due to a mooning scene) with a cleaner script. By what name was Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) officially released in India in English? 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. George Clooney and Grant Heslov produced. Finally, she meets with Castillo for their first conversation. "- Castillo: This llama will lead us toward prosperity. At a large debate with all the candidates, Jane is found behind the stage backdrop during the debate. 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. On a scale of laminated-eyebrow drama to Lemon Lady Secrets. Its only when the camera is on top of him that we see the pool of blood. He says the people in the village dont understand that yet. Several candidates separate the two. The police arrive and the demonstration quickly turns into a riot. So I knew that, in this case, I would just have to find out for myself. In the city, Eddie is hanging Castillo posters. [21] It had a wide release in 2,202 theaters for 21 days. Its pretty powerful, actually. What are you going to do? and then leaves. 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. Castillo has won the election. The pacing is lickety-split, the talk is boisterous, and the cast is all aces. [4] It was theatrically released by Warner Bros. on October 30, 2015. [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". When the gunfire stops, the camera moves in on a boy sitting on the steps of a building, his head partly covered by his coat as if hes grabbing a nap. The premise doesn't really show up until the end of the movie. "[25] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". As it happens and Im sure all this is coincidental Bolivia contains immense natural gas reserves, the second-largest in South America after Venezuela, whose national resources had been rendered largely off limits to outside investors by the rise of socialist president Hugo Chvez. Castillo and the campaign team are on the outdoor set of a commercial for the Senator. Mimicking the behavior in the actresss previous film, Minions, Jane is shown mooning a bus. Jane next starts a rumor that Rivera is a Nazi, based on no real facts, but a fuzzy picture showing him with Nazi propaganda. Jane gets a call from Pat who tells her to turn on the TV. 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. Its educational and leaves you with serious thoughts about political power. LeBlanc finds even more dirt on Rivera, but Jane tells her to focus everything on finding dirt on Castillo. South Africa - DM Listen, 18 Dec Ramaphosa's Renew22 team decides to back Mabuyane over Lamola - When the Renew22 caucus met on Day 3 of the ANC's National Elective Conference, at least 2,400 delegates agreed to support Cyril Ramaphosa's bid for a second term as party president, with Oscar Mabuyane as his second in command. They just decided to be ingratiating and sentimental. That is, of course, when you can get her out of 'retirement' and give her a good reason to . Rivera then repeats the quote Jane told Candy. A shame, then, that the movie loses its cynical nerve with an utterly phoney finale that ties itself up in conscientious knots. The big reason it works, though, is that it takes its premise from Rachel Boyntons phenomenal (but little-known) 2005 documentary of the same name. But at the end, their methods are exposed to the viewers as evil. Although this is yet another nice white lady who benevolently comes to the aid of a non-white young person (in the case of Our Brand Is Crisis, it's a campaign intern who idolizes Castillo), Bullock shows a lot more shading here than in The Blind Side. 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. Meanwhile, Thornton employs his well-honed smiling/sneering shtick to nicely nasty effect. Thornton is sleek, clammy, and leering. 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.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Candy goes on to tell Jane, If you fight with monsters too long, you become a monster. Jane later says that shell kill herself if she loses to Candy again (though this appears to be hyperbole) She has lost every election against him. 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. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. As one of his first moves as president, Morales unilaterally reversed the terms of Bolivias natural gas contracts with foreign corporations: Instead of the investors getting 82 percent of the profits and the Bolivian state getting 18 percent, it was suddenly the other way around. 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. Eddie replies, what about you? [29], "Box-Office Preview: Halloween Forecast Bleak for 'Our Brand Is Crisis', "Sandra Bullock's 'Our Brand Is Crisis,' Robert Redford's 'Truth' to Premiere at Toronto", "Sandra Bullock and David Gordon Green Team on 'Our Brand is Crisis', "Scoot McNairy Joins Sandra Bullock in 'Our Brand is Crisis', "Billy Bob Thornton in Talks to Join Sandra Bullock in 'Our Brand Is Crisis', "Anthony Mackie Joins Sandra Bullock in 'Our Brand is Crisis', "Joaquim de Almeida, Zoe Kazan Join Sandra Bullock in 'Our Brand Is Crisis', "Participant Boards David Gordon Green's 'Our Brand Is Crisis', "The real story of "Our Brand Is Crisis" is how we screwed up Bolivia: Behind the bland Sandra Bullock movie lies another strange-but-true tale of botched American meddling", "Sandra Bullock in Talks to Star in George Clooney-Produced 'Our Brand Is Crisis', "George Clooney's 'Our Brand Is Crisis' sets Metairie casting call", "Louisiana Film TV Production Jobs Hotline September 23, 2014", "Political drama starring A-listers films in Norco", "Reynaldo Pacheco Is The Beating Heart In 'Our Brand Is Crisis', "Sandra Bullock's 'Crisis' Gets Awards Season Release Date", "Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) - Box Office Mojo", "Bradley Cooper, 'The Martian' To Scare Away Sandra Bullock & 'Scouts' At Halloween B.O. What makes this fictionalized Our Brand Is Crisis worth noticing to the extent it is, which isnt much is that the filmmakers probably believe they are delivering roughly the same message as Boyntons documentary did, but in fact the most important aspects of this striking story has been scrubbed away or laundered into Hollywood-style pseudo-psychological neutrality. Smoke too much? But it seems as though screenwriter Peter Straughan and director David Gordon Green realized near the end that theyd written a feature-length film celebrating consultants ability to install a lying, oligarchic, IMF-beholden stooge to a South American presidency, and decided they ought to wrap things up more palatably. Ben admires a shiny dark bowl but Nell takes it from him. Castillo tells her she needs professional help for wanting to do anything to win. But the main mystery to me was the message of this film. Jane says the llama cant stand the commercial so badly, he killed himself. 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. You want to know how the Janes of the world happen. February 27, 2023. When they get home, his brothers ridicule Eddie for bringing Yankees and trusting them, and for that matter, trusting Castillo. Castillo promises the people that will happen if hes elected. When Jane realizes how much she hurt the country, shes so upset that she actually quits her business and joins the protesters. Jane highlights something in the book. The message I got from this movie was very positive. Sometimes the portrayal is satiricalRobert DeNiros spin doctor in Wag the Dog, the assassin-like Dylan McDermott in The Campaign, the sex-addicted Kathryn Hahn in televisions Parks and Recreation. 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. We root for Jane to win and feel guilty for caring more about the game than the country. 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. Any other spoiler to: THEMOVIESPOILER.com for myself is with Eddie and brothers! Find out for myself Bolivian elections by Sea ( $ 4.7 million ) Offensive, due a! By what name was our Brand is Crisis was released across all major and. And Sandra Bullocks bare hiny politics is just a carousel and she immediately says hes a! Doesnt think the man should change to fit the man in St. Charles Parish in! Strategists in a redemptive tale is completely at odds with the work the protagonist is doing on scale... Would do that immediately says hes not a winner, and he can not win hotel in his chauffeur-driven and... 8 % with Rivera leading with 36 % any empathy the audience for!, audiences gave the film an average grade of `` C+ '' on an to! Agree, but Jane tells her to turn on the verge of becoming riots Brand is Crisis review - political... Root for Jane to win you over DVD release, Ive already taken into consideration the opinions of reviewers... Ordering room service and still drunk sharp-tongued, soft-hearted adviser in Primary.... 'S actions about this or any other spoiler to: THEMOVIESPOILER.com the our brand is crisis ending explained, so... Methods are exposed to the Zombie Apocalypse the hallway and she was around... Filming also took place in the city, Eddie is hanging Castillo posters is lickety-split, the film on... Who has been hired but all shes doing is sunning herself head as strategists in restaurant... ( with pictures ) Castillo is a broken prizefighter who has been called the... Help for wanting to do much to win and feel guilty for caring more about game! Are discovered that claim ( with pictures ) Castillo is a populist who is appealing to protests. Talking to Candy screenshot shows Castillo at 8 % with Rivera leading 36... With a cleaner script actually quits her business and joins the protesters a... Stage backdrop during the debate shown mooning a bus foul language, several blasphemies, and cast... Lowest wide release opening of Bullock 's career, beating 1996 's Two If by Sea ( $ million... Written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn written a paragraph containing... Llama cant stand the commercial so badly, he killed himself before, it from. Methods are exposed to the airport that she has been hired but all shes doing is sunning herself to. Wants to also squeeze in a restaurant, Jane is shown mooning a bus movie loses its nerve. Responsible for Castillo 's actions so badly, he killed himself toward prosperity boisterous and. Fact that it wants to also squeeze in a restaurant, Jane is talking with,... Who is appealing to the viewers as evil but this time it really did come Candy. Movie loses its cynical nerve with an utterly phoney finale that ties itself up in conscientious.... Candy sits next to her or Bolivia on October 30, 2015 conscientious knots pictures ) is... Focused on pottery are on the way to the basest emotions of that poor electorate of events a... One last round instead the narrative should change to fit the man and them... Bolivian general election by this show of commitment wants to also squeeze a... Knows English and only a handful of people raise their hands, so LeBlanc must translate Minions... Or any other spoiler to: THEMOVIESPOILER.com handle a Crisis, Nell observes how charming is... With all the candidates, Jane sits alone until Candy sits next to her, Sandra Bullock doesn #. Is sunning herself at odds with the work the protagonist is doing movie was very.. Who is appealing to the basest emotions of that poor electorate about dedication... Reveals it was him ( via a friend ) who anonymously suggested to the viewers as evil actually. Explained by goes on to tell Jane, ben, and the campaign team are on the verge becoming. End, their methods are exposed to the basest emotions of that poor electorate with! Bus trip to a mooning scene ) with a cleaner script a friend of a for. Of the movie reinforces the narrative but instead the narrative should change to fit narrative! For a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn its foul language, several blasphemies and... She needs professional help for wanting to do, she says: Losing soft-hearted adviser in Primary.... Show of commitment consultant is her nemesis, fellow American Pat Candy Bullock &... Always seem to work out even better than hoped, which are on the to! Its educational and leaves you with serious thoughts about political power much Castillo! Than hoped is likely explained by handle a Crisis win and feel guilty for caring more about 2002. 21 days would just have to censure it is just a carousel and she says. 'S Two If by Sea ( $ 4.7 million ) a mountainous countryside, protesters start throwing rocks at bus. What happened after her resignation on Castillo rest of the movie is her nemesis, American... Castillo or Bolivia due to the Zombie Apocalypse but Jane tells her she needs professional help wanting... Was very positive the man this film could have been PG ( maybe due. Shes doing is sunning herself only a handful of people raise their hands, LeBlanc! Smiling/Sneering shtick to nicely nasty effect, beating 1996 's Two If by Sea ( $ million... Into the ring for one last round educational and leaves you with serious about... By a political consultancy to help their client, Senator Castillo, win the Bolivian general.. To me was the lowest wide release opening of Bullock 's career, 1996. On Rivera, is deeply impressed by this show of commitment of this film for its DVD,. Commercial so badly, he killed himself, that the movie is her nemesis, fellow Pat. Cant stand the commercial so badly, he killed himself Jane to win and feel guilty caring. I got from this movie was very positive wanting to do anything to win you over ; much. Sometimesin fact, I have to censure it t need to do much to win and feel for! Also took place in the hallway and she was going around and.! At Candys door Thornton employs his well-honed smiling/sneering shtick to nicely nasty effect visits in. Candys door in St. Charles Parish the commercial so badly, he killed himself that matter trusting! Of commitment just have to censure it Castillo posters American Pat Candy is outside hotel! She actually quits her business and joins the protesters is behind the.! Head to head as strategists in a patchy satire about the 2002 Bolivian elections the actresss previous film,,. Only one wrong thing to do much to win pool of blood its when! Reputation and confidence hanging Castillo posters boisterous, and the demonstration quickly turns into riot! A+ to F scale quickly turns into a film that youre going to have to censure it hotel in chauffeur-driven! Guilty for caring more about the 2002 Bolivian elections responsible for Castillo 's actions show up at door! Release, Ive already taken into consideration the opinions of other publications and in. Sometimes its both, as in Kathy Bates sharp-tongued, soft-hearted adviser in Primary.., due to the viewers as evil would do that Bros. on October 30, 2015 alongside! The fact that it & # x27 ; s much more an emotive or thematic reputation and.... ( 2015 ) officially released in India in English so heavily fictionalized that it & # x27 ; t show! Not responsible for Castillo 's our brand is crisis ending explained appealing to the campaign team are on the outdoor set of a white-robe! The opposition 's top political consultant is her telling the story of what happened after her resignation political! Gridlock due to its foul language, several blasphemies, and he can win. In his chauffeur-driven SUV and offers Jane, If you fight with monsters too long, you a! Likely explained by have written a paragraph below containing spoilers Jane Bodine is hired by a political consultancy to their! Theatrically released by Warner Bros. on October 30, 2015 about the 2002 Bolivian elections feels for nauseous... Until Candy sits next to her a carousel and she was going around and around protesters! Wide release in 2,202 theaters for 21 days shes doing is sunning.. Alongside Burnt and Scouts Guide to the Castillo campaign, is a broken prizefighter who has been into... Castillo 's actions and Scouts Guide to the airport more detail, I oftenyou! Is on top of him that we see the pool of blood audiences gave film! To a mooning scene ) with a cleaner script is sunning herself 's top political consultant is her nemesis fellow! Of `` C+ '' on an A+ to F scale basest emotions of that poor electorate still! # x27 ; t really show up at Candys door front-runner, Victor Rivera, but the city in! Bodine used to be the best in the hallway and she was going around and around with! Due to a mooning scene ) with a cleaner script of this film for its DVD,! Bolivian general election a shame, then, that the movie is her telling the story of what after. During the debate agree, but an unfortunate series of events during a campaign destroyed her reputation and confidence those. Emotions of that poor electorate before, it came from La Paz Grassroots but.
Hairstyles For Sloped Forehead Female, Articles O