When you have a movie fictionally based on a real-life
documentary, things start getting complicated, and that was the primary issue I
faced while watching Our Brand Is Crisis (2015).
The Plot: Based on the 2005 documentary of the same name,
the film deals with a retired American political consultant, and how she must
take part in another election, helping a Bolivian presidential candidate this
time around.
The Good and The Bad: Sandra Bullock plays the main
character the best way she can. She's no Miss Congeniality here but she tries
to put magic into a script with nothing much to offer. We have talented actors
like Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Scoot McNairy and Joaquim de Almeida,
with director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Joe) giving them all
enough screen-time to succeed.
But the problem always lies in this form of political
satire. It just isn't for everyone. The comic parts of Our Brand Is Crisis are
worth a laugh or two but if a viewer used word-of-mouth to spread them, they
won't even come across as half-funny.
The script by Peter Straughan showcased his flair for
funny dialogue as with 2009's The Men Who Stare at Goats, but here the humor
does nothing but move along the running time of 107 minutes as swiftly as
possible.
Bullock's character Jane Bodine AKA Calamity Jane is fun
to watch, and her personality is dramatized well, but the viewer can't relate
with what she wants. I liked how the love-hate relationship with Thornton's
character Pat Candy, who is on the opposing team, was depicted throughout the
venture. Yet, these scenes are nothing but comic relief without any underlying
strength.
The paramount sequences were those that Bullock shared
with the main presidential candidate Pedro Castillo, played exceptionally well
by Almeida, and how these two individuals did or did not get along in the
feature were the most entertaining parts, as they illustrated both humor and
strength in the undertone of the screenplay.
Despite the first and second acts being written poorly, the
third act really redeemed the picture, yet veterans of watching this genre, or
most comedies, would have guessed that the emotional impact would have
definitely been in the conclusion.
And that is what really turns you off at some parts.
Calamity Jane's tactics are just too predictable that they seem to make the
overall cinematic experience taken for granted. If Our Brand Is Crisis was more
about her overcoming her professional shortcomings in accordance with the major
storyline, and not the continuous discourses with Pat Candy, then this might've
been a outstanding flick.
The Verdict: In a way, Our Brand Is Crisis does live up
to its title, by being a dilemma in its genre, and proving that Hollywood needs
to churn out better satirical takes on politics in the near future.
Rating: 2 out of 4.
