Our Brand Is Crisis [Blu-ray]

Director: David Gordon Green David Gordon Green

Overview

This satirical comedy starring Sandra Bullock as a political consultant gives viewers an inside look at the high-stakes, win-at-all-costs world of politics. Bullock stars as "Calamity" Jane Bodine, who is hired to work on the campaign of a Bolivian presidential candidate who has fallen behind in the polls. She faces off against her rival Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), who is working on the opponent's campaign and is also looking for every opportunity to antagonize Jane. The film is loosely based on the 2005 documentary of the same name by Rachel Boynton. Directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, George Washington). Produced by Oscar-winners George Clooney and Grant Heslov.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/02/2016
UPC:	0883929529957
Original Release:	2015
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Home Video
Language:	English
Time:	1:47:00
Sales rank:	36,364

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sandra Bullock	Jane
Billy Bob Thornton	Pat Candy
Anthony Mackie	Ben
Zoe Kazan	LeBlanc
Scoot McNairy	Buckley
Ann Dowd	Nell
Joaquim de Almeida	Castillo
Dominic Flores	Hugo
Reynaldo Pacheco	Eddie
Louis Arcella	Rivera
Octavio Gómez Berríos	Pepe
Luis Chávez	Abraham
Azucena Diaz	Claudia ¿ Talk Show Host
Damián Delgado	Velasco
Nina Leon	Rivera Reporter
Luis Usey	Rivera Reporter
Luis Guevara	Focus Group Moderator,Focus Group Moderator
Olga Gamboa	Focus Group Moderator
Edgar Arreola	Demonstration Chant Leader
Carmela Zumbado	Female American Reporter
Casiano Ancalle	Campesino Leader
James Castillo Collantes	Policeman
Manuel A. Diaz Lozada	Policeman
Eric Suriano	Senior Staff ¿ Flak Catcher
Ruth Pineda	Castillo Spot Girl
Martina Griffin	Castillo Spot Mother
Esterlina Garcia	Senior Staff Translator
Daniel Rildo Sanchez	Rally Speaker
Tilda Del Toro	Presidential Secretary
Stuart Besser	US Ambassador
Arian Juarez	Talk Show Tap Dancer
Fernandez Osvaldo	Jail Policeman
Carlos Rodríguez	TV Presenter
Mariana Alvarez	TV Presenter
Gonzalo Inchausty	Focus Group Member
Fabiola M. Revilla	Focus Group Member
Axel Landivar	Focus Group Member
William Poquiviqui	Cameraman
Ricardo Vargas	Campaign Worker
Pedro Ivan Bonilla Vazquez	Demonstration Speaker
Nair Kuzmik	Assistant Camerawoman
Dan Hewitt Owens	American IMF Man
Eric Tyrone Smith	American IMF Man
Adam Fiorentino	IMF Representative
Mary Kim Hoang	Spanish Sign Language Interpreter
Jennifer Esquivel Gutierrez	El Alto Bar Girl
Jacco Velarde	Singer
Juan Lima Rodriguez	Singer
Oscar Valdez	Singer
Martha Aldrich	Female Assistant (Llama owner)
Washington Debrito	Castillo Senior Staff
Eduardo Morales	Lautaro Mendez
Erick Chavarria	Devil Mask Man
Harry Van Gorkum	Interviewer (Main title sequence)
Jason Oliver	Sound Recordist
Mickey Giacomazzi	Stunt Coordinator
Luis Raul Alcocer	Stunt Coordinator
Andy Dylan	Stunt Coordinator
Eddie Fernandez	Stunt Coordinator
David Wingo	Composer

Technical Credits

Peter Straughan

David Gordon Green	Director
George Clooney	Producer
Grant Heslov	Producer
Peter Straughan	Screenwriter
Jeff Skoll	Executive Producer
Steven Mnuchin	Executive Producer
Jonathan King	Executive Producer
Nina Wolarsky	Executive Producer
Stuart M. Besser	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Sandra Bullock	Executive Producer
Alexa Fogel	Casting

Editorial Reviews

In Our Brand Is Crisis, Sandra Bullock stars as damaged political strategist "Calamity" Jane Bodine, who is prodded out of retirement to take over a struggling presidential campaign in Bolivia. Her motive has nothing to do with the candidate, out-of-touch and arrogant former head of state Pedro Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida), who is 28 points behind in the polls. No, Bodine doesn't care what Castillo stands for or whether he is the best person for the job. Her motive isn't political; it's personal. She hops on a plane to Bolivia for only one reason -- to defeat strategist Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), a Mephistophelean rival working for the opposition. Jane has gone up against Candy in elections "three or four times," she laments, and lost "three or four times." She intends for that losing streak to end in Bolivia. But before Jane can whip Castillo's campaign into shape, she must first deal with a debilitating case of altitude sickness that requires her to continually drag around a bottle of oxygen. When she isn't upchucking into trash cans or sucking O2 from a mask, she is sitting bleary-eyed on a sofa trying to shake the fog out of her head. It doesn't help that once she meets Castillo in person she immediately labels him a loser and her trip a lost cause. But all that changes when Candy hires a local to smash an egg on Castillo's head and the former prez punches the guy. The dustup energizes Jane and leads her to craft Castillo as a fighter for his people; a man who understands the imminent economic and political crisis Bolivia is facing. From there, Jane and Candy pull out the dirtiest tricks in their bags and enter into a greedy game of one-upmanship that will ultimately affect every Bolivian citizen. Our Brand Is Crisis is a dark comedy about the shady shenanigans that are employed behind the scenes of many political campaigns, and it couldn't be timelier, as it coexists with the circus-like atmosphere of the 2016 U.S. presidential race. Director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) and screenwriter Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) mix broad comedy with deeply serious issues to mostly great effect, though the movie would benefit from a sharper satirical edge. But, ultimately, the film is a showcase for Bullock, and her finely tuned dramatic and comic skills. As the tough but fragile "Calamity" Jane, Bullock earns well-won laughs one moment doing a bit of physical comedy, like mooning a busload of campaign rivals, while the next she gut-punches you as she sinks into utter despair and immobility. Her give-and-takes with the devilish Thornton, who can do menacing calm better than anyone, are a hoot to watch, and the two are superbly supported by a talented ensemble that includes Anthony Mackie, Ann Dowd, Scoot McNairy and Zoe Kazan. The movie also benefits from being shot in La Paz, Bolivia, and Puerto Rico. The authentic locales serve as a constant reminder that what is ultimately at stake in the election are people's lives. Our Brand Is Crisis is based on Rachel Boynton's 2005 documentary of the same name that focused on Bolivia's 2002 presidential election and strategist James Carville's involvement. The lead role was originally written for a man. Thank heavens the filmmakers, including producer George Clooney, brought Bullock aboard and tailored the character to her strengths. It's one of the best roles of her remarkable career. An Oscar nomination wouldn't be out of the question. When it comes to crisis and comedy, nobody does it better than Bullock.