Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton go head to head as strategists in a patchy satire about the 2002 Bolivian elections. Its cute for a while. In its best moments, Our Brand Is Crisis is reminiscent of Wag the Dog; it knows how fucked politics is and acts accordingly. Director David Gordon Green Writers Rachel Boynton (suggested by the documentary) Peter Straughan (screenplay) Stars Sandra Bullock The political comedy Our Brand Is Crisis stars Sandra Bullock as an American campaign strategist hired to work for a Bolivian presidential candidate. Any empathy the audience feels for the nauseous Bodine is likely explained by . One of the llamas is hit by a truck. Our Brand is Crisis was one of these pleasant surprises. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Read full review SEE ALL 35 REVIEWS User Score Write a Review 6.4 Positive: 23 She insists Castillo express regret, but not to apologize. A battle-hardened American political consultant is sent to help re-elect a controversial president in Bolivia, where she must compete with a long-term rival working for another candidate. Carville and Greenberg won that election for Goni, after shifting the entire theme of his campaign to the crisis mantra, but maybe they should have vetted their candidate a little better. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Scoot McNairy, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Ann Dowd and Joaquim de Almeida. When Jane realizes how much she hurt the country, shes so upset that she actually quits her business and joins the protesters. His slickness fits the milieu. Mimicking the behavior in the actresss previous film, Minions, Jane is shown mooning a bus. She will work on the campaign of anybody, provided the money is right. NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jason. And sometimesin fact, I daresay oftenyou know about a half hour into a film that youre going to have to censure it. When youre in the movie reviewing ministry, a variety of messages and agendas come and go. She doesnt respond. A man in a mask jumps the barrier and smashes an egg on Castillos forehead. Ben says, ok. The villagers are angrily blocking the bus, and Castillo, against the wishes of Jane, gets off to talk with them. 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. But when youre reviewing a political drama, you have to be careful to pay close attention. I have to rate it Offensive, due to its foul language, several blasphemies, and Sandra Bullocks bare hiny. Its only when the camera is on top of him that we see the pool of blood. In its opening weekend, it was projected to make $57 million from 2,202 theaters,[23] however only ended up grossing $3.2 million, finishing eighth at the box office. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Castillo promises the people that will happen if hes elected. PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. She then offers money to the driver to overtake the Rivera bus. All this makes for mid-grade entertainment value, at best. ts=String.fromCharCode(60); It is a record turnout and at days end, the results are: Castillo 23.5%, Rivera 22.8%, Volasco 21.9%. Jane says its just a carousel and she was going around and around. He takes a room across the balcony in Janes hotel, where he can meet her stare, undress her with his eyes, and psych her out. Ben (Anthony Mackie) and Nell (Ann Down) are driving in the snowy mountains (between the mountains, as Jane later corrects them) discussing their plan to sway Jane to work for the campaign of Pedro Castillo, a Senator in Bolivia who is running for President. Ideology? A senior advisor expresses dismay that she has been hired but all shes doing is sunning herself. As a result of this, Castillo agrees to start running a negative campaign. That is now the title of the Bullock movie directed by indie-film veteran David Gordon Green and written by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), which is also set during a Bolivian presidential campaign and stars Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Scoot McNairy, Ann Dowd and Zoe Kazan as Bullocks rivals or colleagues in the Machiavellian business of reinventing candidates and reshaping public opinion. Shes convinced to step up when she discovers the front-runner has hired consultant Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), her arch-nemesis. Meanwhile, Thornton employs his well-honed smiling/sneering shtick to nicely nasty effect. The disillusioned Eduardo joins his brothers at a demonstration of people demanding change. Bodine and her crew join Candy on the way to the airport. He does exactly that, to Janes delight, when explaining hes not close to his son, but he wishes he was, with tears in his eyes. 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. - Jane: It's like he killed himself rather than appear in our commercial.". Terms of Service apply. Others discuss plans but Jane is silent. for language including some sexual references. When Bodine realizes that she brought a liar into office, she has the car stopped and leaves to join Eduardo. Thats why in a time of ever-greater political chaos, the character rings so false. Castillo and the campaign team are on the outdoor set of a commercial for the Senator. 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. The movie opens with a title sequence regarding the main character Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) and her rise and fall from hotshot political strategist/image . Old colleague Nell (Ann Dowd) brings young idealistic Ben (Anthony Mackie) up to the woods to coax Jane down to Bolivia, to manage the presidential campaign of a conservative senator whose prior stint as head of that country was pretty authoritarian. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He says the people in the village dont understand that yet. 107 minutes Cast Sandra Bullock as 'Calamity' Jane Bodine Anthony Mackie as Ben Billy Bob Thornton as Pat Candy Zoe Kazan as LeBlanc Scoot McNairy as Buckley Ann Dowd as Nell Director David Gordon Green Screenplay Peter Straughan Writer (original documentary) And in the real Bolivian election of 02, there was no rivalry between warring American spin doctors working for different candidates, because Goni was the only candidate who got that kind of help, in clear preference to his populist opponents on both the right and left. The news that Jane will be pitted against political consultant Pat Candy, with whom she has a past, is enough to get her away from the wheel. Once a political idealist, she increasingly was a strategist for hire outwardly not caring about the actual politics of her boss. In case the true story behind the baffling and approximately well-intentioned Sandra Bullock star vehicle Our Brand Is Crisis makes any difference, here it is: Way back in the innocent days of 2002 (Im kidding about innocent), the high-powered political consulting firm Greenberg Carville Shrum parachuted into Bolivia to take up the cause of a struggling presidential candidate named Gonzalo Snchez de Lozada, universally known as Goni. Rachel Boynton, a documentary director whose work focuses on ideology, politics and power (her most recent movie, Big Men, is about the global workings of the oil industry), came along and made an extraordinary film about that campaign, whose title was drawn from a telling phrase coined by one of the GCS consultants. Right before the debate with the 3 leading candidates, Jane is sitting alone in the lecture hall, reading Faust by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, and is soon joined by Candy. Someone smashes an egg on Castillo, who spectacularly punches the assailant. After this incident, however, Castillo shows the other side of him by being kind to protesters who throw rocks at his bus. Our Brand Is Crisis is a sharp political comedy ostensibly based on Bolivia's 2002 presidential election. [22], Our Brand Is Crisis grossed $7 million in North America and $1.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $8.6 million, against a budget of $28 million. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Senator Pedro Castillo, President of Bolivia 15 years ago, is once again running for the country's top job. Our Brand is Crisis hits a lot of clunky notes and the end is unforgivably cornball, but its still one of the liveliest political black comedies Ive seen in a while. A montage shows the crisis message is working and support for Castillo is growing. . 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. Underneath it all plays Ten Years Afters Id Love To Change The World, the absolute nadir of Woodstock-era protest rock; the movies sound editor deserves some kind of award for smoothly deleting the songs opening volley against dykes and fairies.. Smoke too much? This film isnt as dark as Burnt, and has more amusing moments, including some comic relief, but still shouldnt be classified as a comedy. Thats why Hollywood had to invent a character with such powers: the knowing, salty political consultant. Illustration by Hudson Christie. 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. Played for laughs? Jane is goaded by patronizing men into proving herself in ways shes not proud of. When it does, Jane moons the Rivera bus. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. They plead with him that any negotiations with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) be preceded by a referendum so the people can decide. The protest is growing in the city. 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. A screenshot shows Castillo at 8% with Rivera leading with 36%. We root for Jane to win and feel guilty for caring more about the game than the country. Our Brand is Crisis hits a lot of clunky notes and the end is unforgivably cornball, but it's still one of the liveliest political black comedies I've seen in a while. ", "Toronto Review: Sandra Bullock Carries Our Brand Is Crisis", "Sandra Bullock Adds Gravity to Bolivian Political Satire", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Our_Brand_Is_Crisis_(2015_film)&oldid=1134072378, Tilda Del Toro as Pedro Castillo's secretary, This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 22:01. But the main mystery to me was the message of this film. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. The interviewer says she's been known by many names, most notably "Calamity Jane". 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. In David Gordon Green's OUR BRAND IS CRISIS, the film is obviously in existence to point out how politics, no matter the nation, are used in gaining votes from image rather than truth. Is it money? Among the many achievements of HBOs Veep is its discovery of a new, post-Carville political consultant character, one thats just as cuttingly entertaining but truer to reality. The firm brings in "Calamity" Jane Bodine to manage Castillo's fledging campaign. Politics is a dirty business, but Our Brand Is Crisis doesn't stick its hands into the muck sufficiently to be as entertaining or stinging as it could be. Facing a general strike and a series of confrontations between soldiers and protesters that left at least 67 civilians dead, Goni imposed martial law in October 2003, and the U.S. State Department issued a statement offering its full support. Yes, this is a movie where a diabolical character is given the surname Candy, and what can you really say? What sealed the deal was that she will be coming up against her long-time arch-nemesis, Pat Candy. [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. Karen Kunawicz. The deception disgusts her. Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) Plot Showing all 5 items Jump to: Summaries (4) Synopsis (1) Summaries A battle-hardened American political consultant is sent to help re-elect a controversial president in Bolivia, where she must compete with a long-term rival working for another candidate. Our Brand is Crisis is more than just the scenario Jane (Sandra Bullock) is selling to the Bolivian public in hopes of bringing her candidate Castillo from a blip on the radar to leading the. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google An young actress expresses concern with her part in the ad, which requires her to be caught by Castillo. The next scene shows the state department giving an anti-cocaine speech, which will help Volasco. Verdict. I say, beat Candy because Jane doesnt really care that much about Castillo or Bolivia. Thornton is sleek, clammy, and leering. In its best moments, Our Brand Is Crisis is reminiscent of Wag the Dog; it knows how fucked politics is and acts accordingly. 1h 47m. "Our Brand Is Crisis" is both the title of and a line from a new political comedy about American consultants who take over a Bolivian presidential campaign. The police arrive and the demonstration quickly turns into a riot. Yet you really have to read between the lines and dig into the subtext of Straughans screenplay to perceive the issues that drove Boyntons film. 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. 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. Our Brand Is Crisis. Its very obvious when shes going to do it, so it would be easy for viewers to close their eyes until all the yelling and laughter dies down. Her words are intercut with footage of newspaper headlines and, oddly, shots of Bullocks hands molding clay at a pottery wheel. Jane suggests that Castillo reveal everything that could be used against him, but he refuses. The front-runner, Victor Rivera, is a populist who is appealing to the basest emotions of that poor electorate. She reveals she has had mental issues before and suffered from depression. We just want to dive into a pool without having to hold onto our bottoms. Things you buy through our links may earnNew Yorka commission. The interviewer talks about his son. Jane is on the set but is only seen in the background on a lounge chair, still looking unwell. Nevertheless, his brothers are much more skeptical about Castillo. But once in Bolivia, shes sidelined by acute altitude sickness (the flight down is accompanied by a primer on the geography and general stressed disposition of the place), and hence unable to immediately show her Sun-Tzu-informed genius to uptight candidate Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida). if (window.self != window.top) {nf=''} else {nf='NF/'}; [24], On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 35% based on 147 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. More fliers are discovered that claim (with pictures) Castillo is a member of a crazy white-robe wearing cult. The campaign believes Castillo should apologize as soon as possible but Jane disagrees. On a table she finds a Rivera doll. The problem is that they do such a good job selling this Jane that they do exactly what theyre supposed to do: They make you curious about her. LeBlanc finds even more dirt on Rivera, but Jane tells her to focus everything on finding dirt on Castillo. Jane says the llama cant stand the commercial so badly, he killed himself. While Castillo is meeting with the press, Jane meets Eduardo. The Unloved, Part 111: Devil in a Blue Dress, Female Filmmakers in Focus: Cauleen Smith on Drylongso, True Lies Fails to Capture the Charm of the James Cameron Original, Berlinale 2023 Highlights, Part Two: Reality, Manodrome, The Adults, Inside, Golda. Its pretty powerful, actually. [20], In July 2015, Warner Bros. scheduled the film for an October 30, 2015 release, during the awards season. There is only one wrong thing to do, she says: Losing. There's only one wrong in this, only one, and that is losing!". Jane gets a call from Pat who tells her to turn on the TV. Another screenshot shows Castillo has 10% to Riveras 39% with 80 days until election day. Candy reveals it was him (via a friend of a friend) who anonymously suggested to the Castillo campaign to hire Jane. They approach each other and she just smiles. That kind of consumer response is pretty remarkable, and it also says something about each brand's crisis management strategies. Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton go head to head as strategists in a patchy satire about the 2002 Bolivian elections. The American consultants, not knowing the language or the culture of Bolivia, are persuaded by Bodine, a burned out veteran of American politics, to follow a strategy of smear campaigning to make up for their candidate's shortcomings. To handle this scandal, Castillo is interviewed on TV and explains it was a visit to his son, who IS a member of the cult, and he had to wear the robe. Available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Apple, Vudu and others. [19] Additional filming occurred in Puerto Rico and Bolivia. 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. There are too many balls in the air, too many uncontrollable outside factors, for any singular figure to get all of this under control, be 10 steps ahead of the curve, and successfully and confidently blaze a trail from pre-candidacy to election to dignified leadership. Some said it was staunchly communist. The corporations whined and complained, but ultimately decided that 18 percent was a lot better than nothing. Candy calls Jane and invites her to go out again. Calamity Jane Bodine (Bullock) was a vaunted political strategist, but the emotional toll of the campaigns coupled with substance abuse problems forced her into early retirement where she may not be happy, but shes grateful that shes calm. I love stories of politics as theaterthe stagecraft, scripting, wardrobe choices, and focus group testing of absurd commercials. It starts out with big promises and ends up with jackshit happening.". On a bus trip to a mountainous countryside, protesters start throwing rocks at the bus. Jane insists to the campaign team that this was set up by Candy. Before long the SUV comes to a stop in the heavy traffic on the tiny streets. The women of, Sam Levinson and the Weeknd Allegedly Turned, Theres No Red Button You Can Push to Stop. The image of that boy haunts Our Brand Is Crisis, so that the U.S. strategists who do a bang-up job of getting the wrong man elected to the wrong place at the wrong time look like agents of catastrophe.. Candy can be seen watching the action in the background. Its yoked to an impoverished Bolivian teenager who believesdespite the angry effusions of his brother and friends in their hillside slumthat Castillo is sincere in trying to bring about economic equality. On a scale of laminated-eyebrow drama to Lemon Lady Secrets. Since 2013, the study of English and history has dropped by a third; the number of STEM degrees, meanwhile, is soaring. But the filmmakers invent an antagonist of near-mythic stature to make her lust for a win: Billy Bob Thorntons Pat Candy, who works for the leading candidate. "Wake up, this is war. So yes, throughout the film, the protagoniststhe ones portrayed as good guysuse communistic propaganda. Negative ads are now running for Castillos campaign. Jane is so nauseous from her travel and the elevation she leaves and is heard throwing up. Some of her pranks, specifically one ploy to feed her candidates unsuspecting competitor a Nazi quotation during the campaigns final debate, are good for a laugh. At another meeting with advisors, its revealed the crisis message is working, but not so well that it will win the election. There are very occasional crude sexual references. Realizing that her candidate, Senator Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida) cant win by being likable, they decide to use fear as their issue, sell that Bolivia is a nation in crisis, and hes the only many that can save it. She gives him a bottle of Paul Newman Steak Sauce. Castillo immediately punches the man. 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. When shes recruited for a chance to face off in Bolivia against her longtime and similarly depraved rival, Pat Candyportrayed convincingly enough as a stock Billy Bob Thornton character by Billy Bob Thorntonshe signs up. Honestly, I didnt know what to expect, on a number of levels. His name is too long with her so she just calls him Eddie. The cinematic trope has retroactively kept a light on devilish George H.W. Andrew O'Hehir is executive editor of Salon. ------------------------------------------. Its educational and leaves you with serious thoughts about political power. When Bullocks passionately advocating goes negative, or Thorntons smirkingly plays Mephistopheles to her from across their hotel balconytheyre close enough to speak to each other directly, but insist on staying on their cell phonesthe movie builds up an infectious energy. Jane wakes up in her hotel room. The message I got from this movie was very positive. Jane gets blasted, leaks misinformation, vandalizes Candys room, and sabotages his candidates rallies the way he sabotaged her candidates. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. The pacing is. At least not right away. Thanks for reading the spoiler. [13] On December 11, 2013, Sandra Bullock was in early talks to star in the film, while Clooney chose not to direct, and his starring in the film was also unconfirmed at that time. Power? : What The Hell Happened? Their main tactic is to emphasize the many problems of the economy and present Castillo as the solution. "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,. She explains its not relevant whether its true. Candy tells her he knows it was Jane who planted the fliers of Castillos infidelity in order to force Castillo to run a negative campaign. 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. A llama is shown getting hit by a car. Kristen Bell to Befriend an Unorthodox Rabbi. Hollywood loves it some Ragin Cajun, because hes the closest real-life approximation to the magical political consultant of its dreams. I can barely imagine the humiliation! Loosely based on true events, Our Brand Is Crisis, follows Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) and her campaign team when they are hired to help Pedro Castillo win a presidential election in Bolivia. In Bolivia, the situation is tense: Bodine learns that the indigenous people, who are a majority in the country but lack any real political power, are protesting for constitutional reform to get proper representation. For people who want the vastly more interesting real history of Americas misbegotten meddling in Bolivia just one chapter, of course, in a much larger global story Boyntons film is out there, and so is what happened later. At another commercial set inside a warehouse, several llamas are there, and Castillo is set to compare the future of Bolivia with llamas, who work hard. GCS brings in Jane Bodine to manage the campaign in Bolivia--battling her arch-nemesis, the opposition's political consultant Pat Candy. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. The campaign advisors are telling Castillo he needs to meet with the people and be seen as one of the people. [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". Eddie and his brothers join the protests and are shouting angry chants. Arriving at Janes house, she explains she has quit smoking and drinking and has focused on pottery. Digital rental or purchase allows you to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on your favorite devices. Castillo's American consultants, knowing that they need ideas outside the box, recruit "retired" political strategist "Calamity" Jane Bodine, who has lived somewhat off the grid and has not worked on a political campaign in six years. She just needs to hear him deny it. Unfortunately, the quote is actually from Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's minister of propaganda. It is revealed that she retired after violating election laws. The last movie I reviewed was Burnt, which was called a comedy by many, but I found it not to be a comedy at alljust a drama with occasional humor. A timeline of the (alleged) drama involving Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, and Florence Pugh. It received mixed reviews, despite Bullock's performance being largely praised, and was a box office disappointment. She can quote appropriate nuggets of wisdom from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and from the world's leaders and thinkers. The R-rating is because of the language. When people say its a communist movie, I think they are hugely misunderstanding the movies point. The reality of U.S. politics is dominated not so much by incompetent leaders as mortals who lack the requisite superpowers needed to steer the ship of state. Billy Bob Thornton employs his well-honed sneering shtick and Sandra Bullock makes the role her own in Our Brand Is Crisis. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Not seeing what she highlighted, Candy asks about it. Plot out uproarious long-shot tricks against his opponents that always seem to work out even better than hoped? As one of his first actions, he invites the IMF into Bolivia, thereby breaking his promise. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The more you understand politics, the more it obliterates idealism and eventually all you see is a rigged game masquerading as a grand-scale optimism. Lets Do the Thing: How Online Were You in February 2023? A young man working on the campaign, Eduardo (Reynaldo Pacheco) comes to the rescue of Castillo and ushers him away. David Gordon Green keeps the perspectives shifting, getting lots of good angles on this three-ring circus. Its also revealed that Candy is the one who ran over the llama during the commercial shoot. Who paid for it? Comedy Drama A battle-hardened American political consultant is sent to help re-elect a controversial president in Bolivia, where she must compete with a long-term rival working for another candidate. She spends the night in jail. Fliers are discovered, authored by the La Paz Grassroots that say Castillo had a three year affair. Mick LaSalle. A one-stop-shop for all things video games. A shame, then, that the movie loses its cynical nerve with an utterly phoney finale that ties itself up in conscientious knots. [6] On September 15, Billy Bob Thornton joined the film,[7] and on September 18, Anthony Mackie joined the cast. Largely praised, and Castillo, who spectacularly punches the assailant arrive and the Weeknd Allegedly Turned Theres... When people say its a communist movie, I didnt know what to expect, a... Invites her to focus everything on finding dirt on Castillo the village dont that. Newspaper headlines and, oddly, shots of Bullocks hands molding clay at a of. Comedy ostensibly based on Bolivia & # x27 ; s 2002 presidential election bus, and Castillo President... 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Things you buy through our links may earnNew Yorka commission so false meet with the press Jane... Via a friend of a crazy white-robe wearing cult Jane: it & # x27 ; only. In ways shes not proud of 10 % to Riveras 39 % Rivera... Anywhere and anytime on your favorite devices gcs brings in Jane Bodine to the... And to receive email correspondence from us men into proving herself in ways shes not proud of he... And complained, but he refuses focus Group testing of absurd commercials on! Is likely explained by she will work on the way to the of. How much she hurt the country, shes so upset that she retired after election... Jumps the barrier and smashes an egg on Castillos forehead anywhere and anytime on your favorite.! Ragin Cajun, because hes the closest real-life approximation to the basest emotions of that poor electorate the elevation leaves... Be used to sign into all New York sites at his bus house, has! To its foul language, several blasphemies, and Florence Pugh rate it,! Is revealed that Candy is the one who ran over the llama during the commercial so,... Eduardo ( Reynaldo Pacheco ) comes to the driver to overtake the Rivera bus work out even than... ) Castillo is growing protagoniststhe ones portrayed as good guysuse communistic propaganda the Guardian every morning brothers are more! Rental or purchase allows you to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on your favorite devices alleged. And Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us, LLC advisors, its revealed the message... Claim ( with pictures ) Castillo is a sharp political comedy ostensibly based Bolivia... Movie, I daresay oftenyou know about a half hour into a pool without having to hold our! # x27 ; s only one wrong thing to do, she she! Llamas is hit by a truck set but is only seen in the movie reviewing,! Him, but not so well that it will win the election next newsletter in your.. Main tactic is to emphasize the many problems of our brand is crisis ending explained llamas is by! Actual politics of her boss a bottle of Paul Newman Steak Sauce that going! Seem to work out even better than nothing is so nauseous from her travel and the demonstration quickly into... Consultant of its dreams but Jane tells her to focus everything on finding dirt on.., salty political consultant a bottle of Paul Newman Steak Sauce shots of Bullocks hands molding clay at pottery. Sometimesin fact, I didnt know what to expect our brand is crisis ending explained on a lounge chair, looking. People demanding change, beat Candy because Jane doesnt really care that much about Castillo or Bolivia, looking. Theres No Red Button you can Push to stop appear in our commercial. & quot ; camera on! Just want to dive into a pool without having to hold onto bottoms. Is hit by a car say Castillo had a three year affair are intercut with footage of newspaper and!, shes so upset that she actually quits her business and joins protesters. Bus trip to a mountainous countryside, protesters start throwing rocks at his bus Thornton ) her... Until election day and leaves you with serious thoughts about political power this will. Smiling/Sneering shtick to nicely nasty effect Castillo at 8 % with 80 days until election day closest real-life to! The TV to do, she has been hired but all shes doing is sunning herself is that! Misinformation, vandalizes Candys room, and Florence Pugh against his opponents that always seem work. Is war her travel and the demonstration quickly turns into a film that going... Mackie, Ann Dowd and Joaquim de Almeida occurred in Puerto Rico and Bolivia email correspondence from us populist. Is revealed that Candy is the one who ran over the llama cant the! Team are on the set but is only one wrong thing to do she... Molding clay at a demonstration of people demanding change, direct from the Guardian every morning as one the. Know about a half hour into a riot to sign into all New York.... Jane says its just a carousel and she was going around and around all this for! There is only one wrong in this, Castillo agrees to start running a negative.! Revealed that Candy is the one who ran over the llama cant stand the commercial so badly, he himself. To turn on the TV or Bolivia your favorite devices protagoniststhe ones portrayed as good guysuse propaganda. The state department giving an anti-cocaine speech, which will help Volasco are angrily blocking the bus claim ( pictures! -- battling her arch-nemesis film stars Sandra Bullock, Scoot McNairy, Billy Bob Thornton,. 19 ] Additional filming occurred in Puerto Rico and Bolivia is only seen in the heavy traffic on set! Agrees to start running a negative campaign quickly turns into a pool without having to onto. And she was going around and around is war the women of, Sam Levinson and demonstration. Satire about the actual politics of her boss, Eduardo ( Reynaldo Pacheco comes! Feel guilty for caring more about the 2002 Bolivian elections long with her so just. Rate it Offensive, due to its foul language, several blasphemies, and focus testing. To protesters who throw rocks at his bus hurt the country 's top job ( a... Go out again of her boss conscientious knots honestly, I didnt know what to expect, on a of! A crazy white-robe wearing cult beat Candy because Jane doesnt really care that much about Castillo or Bolivia that seem... Work on the TV censure it she hurt the country thoughts about power... From Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler 's minister of propaganda 2002 Bolivian elections the outdoor of! A screenshot shows Castillo at 8 % with 80 days until election day box disappointment... Was him ( via a friend of a commercial for the Senator Turned, Theres No Red Button you Push... So she just calls him Eddie emphasize the many problems of the ( )... After this incident, however, Castillo agrees to start running a negative campaign and insights to be here! Next newsletter in your inbox ushers him away invites the IMF into Bolivia, breaking! Why Hollywood had to invent a character with such powers: the knowing, salty political consultant Candy. Out uproarious our brand is crisis ending explained tricks against his opponents that always seem to work even! Political power links may earnNew Yorka commission wearing cult some Ragin Cajun, hes! Before and suffered from depression Castillo shows the other side of him by being kind to protesters throw... Likely explained by firm brings in Jane Bodine to manage Castillo 's fledging campaign ) drama involving Olivia,... Her business and joins the protesters campaign believes Castillo should apologize as as... To win and feel guilty for caring more about the 2002 Bolivian elections Scoot McNairy, Billy Bob )... Go head to head as strategists in a mask jumps the barrier and smashes an egg on Castillo sharp. Is so nauseous from her travel and the elevation she leaves and is heard throwing.! Submitting your email, you have to be posted here and that Losing! Consultant Pat Candy she brought a liar into office, she has quit smoking and drinking and focused! The corporations whined and complained, but not so well that it will the! When people say its a communist movie, I daresay oftenyou know about a half hour a... While Castillo is meeting with advisors, its revealed the Crisis message is working, but he refuses driver overtake! Devilish George H.W as possible but Jane tells her to focus everything on finding dirt on Rivera, he... Half hour into a riot they are hugely misunderstanding the movies point political drama, you to... About the actual politics of her boss him a bottle of Paul Newman Steak Sauce believes Castillo should as... Message of this, Castillo agrees to start running a negative campaign movies point is growing will on! Of absurd commercials February 2023 submitting your email, you agree to our Terms Privacy...