Our Brand Is Crisis movie review

Our Brand Is Crisis stars Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thorton and Joaquim de Vega. I will list down why should you watch this movie.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

#Both Bullock and Thorton are Academy Award winners.

#Sandra Bullock reunites with George Clooney after Gravity but with Clooney as producer. Clooney also produced Argo.

#Lots of useful quotable quotes throughout the movie.

#Very timely, because it's opening during the first week of campaign period in the Philippines.

#For me, I can relate to it because I am currently working for the campaigns. 

#Highly recommended before the election days starts.

#The election in the movie is somehow similar to the current.

#Bolivia is like the Philippines. Both were colonize by Spain, had a revolution but it won against the Spaniards.

#You can't also help but compare the candidates in the movie to the actual presidential candidates.

#It's a political satire about the elections not just to Bolivia, the U.S. or the Philippines; but it's universal to all nations that holds regular election.

#You also learn the strategies of the campaign from this movie. You can also choose this movie as case study for ethical issues.

#It is also timely for me because I am currently involve for a campaign too. I am probably going to use this movie as reference.

#Zoe Kazan. 'Nuff said.

Agree with the bullet points? Share me your opinion. Our Brand Is Crisis opens January 13 in Philippine cinemas.Distributed by Warner Bros. The movie is rated R-13. For more movie reviews, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

SANDRA BULLOCK PLOTS WINNING STRATEGY IN “OUR BRAND IS CRISIS”

Press release

Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock stars in Warner Bros. Pictures' “Our Brand is Crisis” (my review linked) as political strategist Jane Bodine, once considered among the best in the business, who has lately retreated from the political spotlight.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

In “Our Brand is Crisis,” a Bolivian presidential candidate failing badly in the polls enlists the firepower of an elite American management team, led by the deeply damaged but still brilliant strategist “Calamity” Jane Bodine. In self-imposed retirement following a scandal that rocked her to her core, Jane is coaxed back into the game for the chance to beat her professional nemesis, the loathsome Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), now coaching the opposition.

Bullock explains of her role, “When we first meet Jane, she’s had to remove herself from the world in which she’d spent most of her life, for the sake of survival. She was brilliant at her job. But it became an addiction to her, and what it turned her into and the mindset it required became dangerous. Jane is fragile. She has some instability issues, some addiction issues. And clearly all of that was exacerbated when she was in that world, so she just had to stop.”

“The thing I loved about this role was that there didn’t seem to be any rules or boundaries, whether emotionally or in the tone,” Bullock continues. “And that was indicative of the whole story, which, I feel really represents life in that there’s no such thing as all drama or all laughs in day-to-day events. Even serious stories can have painfully funny elements and you can find drama and tragedy in funny moments, and I was drawn to this character and this film because of those complexities.”

“Jane feels her life is being navigated by other people,” says director David Gordon Green. “We meet her at a vulnerable moment where she’s stepped away from the industry that has brought her so much success, and is then summoned back into action like a legendary gunslinger. She feels misguided in this impressive skill set she has, and that she’s not really proud of anymore, and is trying to figure out how to use it in a way that’s more meaningful. So it’s a journey in which Jane is testing her ethics and her motivations even while forging ahead to get a man she barely knows elected president.”

Interestingly, producer Grant Heslov reveals that in the script’s earliest incarnation, as they were still developing the project, the part of the lead strategist was male. After Bullock read it and noted what a great role it could be for a woman, they took another look: “We thought that was a good idea,” he recalls. “So we went to the writer, Peter Straughan, and said let’s change it, let’s make this character a woman and see how that works. And we really liked it.”

Apart from fleshing out some minor details and subtleties, the transformation proved relatively effortless, as the conflicts and aspirations Jane reflects are universal. Recalls Bullock, “I didn’t want the character to change, or her being a woman to alter the main story points or connections.”

While fictional in both its characters and story, “Our Brand is Crisis” was inspired by true events depicted in the 2005 documentary of the same name from writer/director Rachel Boynton, which chronicles the real-life presidential campaign of Bolivia’s Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada. “It was inspiring on every level,” notes Bullock, “but we had to let it go and create our own story.”

Opening across the Philippines on Jan. 13, 2016, “Our Brand is Crisis” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

GEORGE CLOONEY SAYS “OUR BRAND IS CRISIS” NOT ALL ABOUT POLITICS

Press release

Before George Clooney appears on the big screen in his upcoming films -- the Coen Brothers’ “Hail, Caesar!” (set for release in February 2016) and “Money Monster” from director Jodie Foster (April 2016) -- his presence will first be felt as the producer of “Our Brand is Crisis” starring Sandra Bullock. The gripping political satire opens across the Philippines on Jan. 13, 2016.

“Our Brand is Crisis” takes a timely and satirical look at the high-stakes gamesmanship behind the scenes of a presidential campaign, seen through the eyes and actions of the strategists-for-hire who are pulling the strings. Bringing audiences into the belly of the beast with a fictional story as relevant as today’s news cycle, it explores the often outrageous and unconscionable lengths to which some people will go in their competitive zeal to get the job done and cross the finish line ahead of the other guy.

"We weren't really looking into it as being a political statement," assures George Clooney. "We were very interested in the election process and how you elect officials, but I think, we weren't looking at this as strictly about politics. We were looking at this about the human condition, and how we are packaging and selling everything in a very specific way. We thought that was an interesting thing to discuss."

That said, the film is coming out at an interesting time in American politics. "Obviously the timing now, you know, who would've thought that Donald Trump would be at 30 per cent," Clooney says. "It ends up working out very well for the film."

Grant Heslov, who co-produced “Our Brand is Crisis” in tandem with Clooney, goes on to acknowledge, “This isn’t a partisan thing. You can stand on either side and see it; the crazy amount of money involved and the B.S. that goes on. It’s something that has always interested us, the idea of winning at whatever cost.”

The depth of the story and the challenges faced by their lead character was what attracted producers Heslov and Clooney. “With some films the tone is very straightforward. Oddly enough, we rarely make those films,” Heslov says. “We usually find ones where the tone is on the precipice and can go several ways. This film is darkly funny, and also has moments of great seriousness, and there are underlying issues worthy of real thought.”

In “Our Brand is Crisis,” a Bolivian presidential candidate failing badly in the polls enlists the firepower of an elite American management team, led by the deeply damaged but still brilliant strategist “Calamity” Jane Bodine. In self-imposed retirement following a scandal that rocked her to her core, Jane is coaxed back into the game for the chance to beat her professional nemesis, the loathsome Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), now coaching the opposition.

But as Candy zeroes in on every vulnerability – both on and off the campaign trail – Jane is plunged into a personal crisis as intense as the one her team exploits nationally to boost their numbers. “Our Brand is Crisis” reveals the cynical machinations and private battles of world-class political consultants for whom nothing is sacred and winning is all that matters.

Opening across the Philippines on Jan. 13, 2016, “Our Brand is Crisis” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

LATINO ACTOR GUNS FOR PEOPLE'S VOTES IN “OUR BRAND IS CRISIS”

Press release

In Warner Bros. Pictures' “Our Brand is Crisis,” front and center of the election chaos stands presidential candidate and veteran politico Castillo, who sees his consultants (led by Sandra Bullock's Jane Bodine) as a necessary evil, and whose mix of charm, pride and privilege is deftly captured by Portuguese actor Joaquim de Almeida (“Fast Five”).

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

The actor nearly didn’t make the “Our Brand is Crisis” shoot because of an ill-timed gym injury shortly before production, but instead opted to use the situation to his advantage. “Castillo is not an easy guy, not a smiling, happy guy. He has issues. He’s impatient. So I used my own discomfort for the character,” he says.

“He’s a man with money and power,” de Almeida continues. “Castillo is not used to being told what to do, especially by a woman, but these are experts who are well-paid and have run successful campaigns in other countries so he’s willing to hear them out. Then there’s a turning point when he sees the results of Jane’s work, and even if she has a tough way of explaining things and confronts him with the truth, and even if he has a hard time accepting that, he can’t argue with the results.”

Jane sees immediately who Castillo is. Perhaps it’s because these two personalities, often vocally at odds, are oddly simpatico in their single-minded pursuit of the prize.

“Joaquim plays Castillo brilliantly like a person who has once been president but is no longer the president, and is trying to get his groove back,” notes director David Gordon Green. “In that respect, he is similar to Jane in not wanting to step down from the throne and wanting to get back into control. But is he looking out for the best interests of the country, or just addressing his own ego?”

“We auditioned many actors and when Joaquim read we all looked at each other and said, ‘That’s the guy,’” recalls producer Grant Heslov. “He really captures that toughness and machismo and Castillo’s sense of entitlement, while alluding to aspects of this man we may never know.”

Bullock agrees. “There’s great sub-text in his work. He makes Castillo someone both endearing and repulsive. He gives the role an element of power and depth, and it’s clear that he hasn’t been an angel.”

Coincidentally, this film marks the second time that de Almeida has portrayed a Bolivian president. The first was in “Che,” when he appeared as real-life President Barrientos.

In “Our Brand is Crisis,” a Bolivian presidential candidate failing badly in the polls enlists the firepower of an elite American management team, led by the deeply damaged but still brilliant strategist “Calamity” Jane Bodine. In self-imposed retirement following a scandal that rocked her to her core, Jane is coaxed back into the game for the chance to beat her professional nemesis, the loathsome Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), now coaching the opposition.

But as Candy zeroes in on every vulnerability – both on and off the campaign trail – Jane is plunged into a personal crisis as intense as the one her team exploits nationally to boost their numbers. “Our Brand is Crisis” reveals the cynical machinations and private battles of world-class political consultants for whom nothing is sacred and winning is all that matters.

Opening across the Philippines on Jan. 13, 2016, “Our Brand is Crisis” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

THORNTON TAKES ON BULLOCK IN “OUR BRAND IS CRISIS”

Press release

Academy Award-winner Billy Bob Thornton (“The Judge,” FX's “Fargo”) stars as Pat Candy, the rival election strategist of Sandra Bullock's character, Jane Bodine, in Warner Bros. Pictures' satirical comedy, “Our Brand is Crisis.”

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

As the story opens, the infamous campaign fixer Jane Bodine is in seclusion, following a tragically unsuccessful run that left her more shattered than she can admit. She’s not quite ready to return to the fray when a former associate comes knocking in hopes that Jane can help turn things around for a hugely unpopular presidential candidate in Bolivia, named Castillo. She declines. But when Jane learns that her bitter rival Pat Candy has been hired by the opposing party, her competitive nature kicks in. Having lost to Pat more than once before, this could be her chance to even the score.

“I imagine political consultants are, in a lot of ways, like actors,” says Billy Bob Thornton. “Sometimes you do things because it’s something you really love and are passionate about and other times – hopefully not too often – you do it because you’re a professional and you’re getting paid, so you go in there and turn it on in that moment.”

Clearly, this isn’t the first time Jane Bodine and Pat Candy have taken positions on opposite sides of a fight. For strategists at their level, it’s no surprise they have frequently crossed paths. And swords. “I love this kind of powerful, adversarial relationship that may also have just a hint of affection,” says Thornton. “They get it, what most people wouldn’t understand. They know what it’s all about.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years and worked with a lot of actors, and I have to say that working with Sandra has been a real pleasure,” he continues. “She’s been the girl next door, she’s been a big commercial movie draw, and she’s been an edgy actress who delivers award-winning performances; Sandra’s run the gamut and she knows what kind of weight to bring to a role like this. She’s got grit.”

Conversely, “Billy Bob was the perfect choice for Pat because he can say the nastiest things and you still love him,” director David Gordon Green remarks. “There’s a very specific quality and charisma that comes with a great actor that, no matter what he does, you know you’re going to forgive him just a little. As Pat tests Jane, we wanted an actor who could be a formidable counterpart for Sandra, someone with gravitas and wit…and that smile that lets him off the hook.”

Describing that smile as “Cheshire cat,” Bullock adds, “Billy Bob just transforms on screen with all that mischievousness and evil. I would have to take a deep breath every time we started a scene because I had no idea what that man was going to bring. Yet I trusted him completely.”

For Thornton, “Jane and Pat are chess players, but chess players moving real people around the board. Pat Candy is so confident and so good at what he does that he probably gets bored easily and so he constantly has to stir things up to keep himself interested. When he sees Jane, he thinks, ‘Good, now I have someone to play with.’”

“In a way, Pat is the devil on her shoulder, always keeping her alert and aware,” says Green. “Pat is convinced he taught Jane everything she knows and delights in anticipating her next move.” Consequently, they dig deep and elevate each other’s game. If he scores a photo op for his camp, she undercuts it; she organizes a rally and he sabotages the coverage; he floats a damning rumor and she turns it to her advantage. And so it goes, riding the polls and counting down the hours to Election Day.

Opening across the Philippines on Jan. 13, 2016, “Our Brand is Crisis” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

“OUR BRAND IS CRISIS” TRAILER

Warner Bros. Pictures has just released the first poster and trailer for the election satire “Our Brand is Crisis,” starring Oscar winners Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”) and Billy Bob Thornton (“Sling Blade”). 

A Bolivian presidential candidate failing badly in the polls enlists the firepower of an elite American management team, led by the deeply damaged but still brilliant strategist “Calamity” Jane Bodine (Bullock). In self-imposed retirement following a scandal that earned her nickname and rocked her to her core, Jane is coaxed back into the game for the chance to beat her professional nemesis, the loathsome Pat Candy (Thornton), now coaching the opposition.

But as Candy zeroes in on every vulnerability – both on and off the campaign trail – Jane is plunged into a personal crisis as intense as the one her team exploits nationally to boost their numbers. Dramatic, rapid-fire and laced with satire, “Our Brand is Crisis” reveals the cynical machinations and private battles of world-class political consultants for whom nothing is sacred and winning is all that matters.

The drama also stars Anthony Mackie (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”), Joaquim de Almeida (“Fast Five”), Ann Dowd (“Side Effects,” HBO’s “The Leftovers”), Scoot McNairy (“Gone Girl,” “Argo”) and Zoe Kazan (“Ruby Sparks”)

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Seth Gordon Green directs from a screenplay by Oscar nominee Peter Straughan (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), suggested by the documentary by Rachel Boynton, which outlined the American political campaign marketing tactics employed in the real-life 2002 Bolivian presidential election.

The film is produced by Oscar-winning Smokehouse Pictures’ principals Grant Heslov and George Clooney (“Argo”), with Bullock, Stuart Besser, and Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King serving as executive producers.

Green’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes frequent collaborators director of photography Tim Orr, editor Colin Patton, production designer Richard A. Wright and composer David Wingo (“Manglehorn,”), as well as costume designer Jenny Eagan (“Now You See Me”).

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Participant Media, a Smokehouse Pictures production, “Our Brand is Crisis.”