Considering we’re in an election year, I felt that reviewing 2015’s Our Brand is Crisis was obligatory. Starring Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Scoot McNairy, Anthony Mackie, and Ann Dowd, Our Brand is Crisis explores the cut-throat world of politics and presidential elections. After six years of being out of the game, Bullock’s character is pulled in to help with a presidential election in Bolivia. Bullock’s character doesn’t seem too invested until she finds out Thornton is advising the opponent. Due to a long-standing rivalry the two has, Bullock decides then to become fully committed.
What Worked and Didn’t Work
Our Brand is Crisis did poorly, though; Bullock’s performance was praised. Bullock was great, but I actually liked the movie. Sure, some of the film felt a little tone-deaf at times, a little bit of “white savior”, and it dragged a little too long, but there were some really good things about it. While this movie is fiction, it felt completely believable that this is something that most likely happens in real life. The backstabbing, sh*t talking, and campaign smearing is something that we see playing out in our own elections every time. It was just that now, we got an inside view as to what actually goes on.
As I said, Bullock was fabulous. There were some scenes that really stuck the landing. Some that really paid off. And there was an ending that was completely unexpected. Bullock and Thornton were two contenders in this film who fed so well off of each other. I felt the team all brought their own personalities to the table and I enjoyed seeing them work together.
Rating: 4/5
While the beginning started off slow, the movie really kicks up and it makes some really good points. It’s heart-pounding, smart, and fun at times. I would watch this movie again and I’d love to know what it was about this film that people disliked.
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