“Our Brand Is Crisis” (2015) is a smart, gritty, realistic look at the world of politics. In this case, the plot takes place in Bolivia where political fix-it woman Jane (Sandra Bullock) is asked to help a badly losing politician, Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida), who is running for president, and turn the campaign and Castillo around. She believes the way to win is to take this cold, aloof candidate and show him as a man who rolls up his sleeves in a crisis — and a crisis is exactly what Bolivia is facing.
Jane, also called “Calamity Jane,” is one tough cookie. When asked if she ever worked for a politician she didn’t believe in, she replies, “Sure, I can believe anything if the pay is enough.” She has a knack for seeing what others don’t see, and she locks horns with Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), the strategist for Castillo’s rival, Rivera (Louis Arcella). Candy has beaten her before, and she is determined that this time her candidate will emerge victoriously. The film features comedic moments, despite its dramatic and tense plot. Jane, suffering from the altitude when she first arrives in the country, vomits the first time she meets with Castillo’s campaign team. When asked to see him again, she is still not well and says, “I don’t want to keep vomiting every time I see him. It wouldn’t be good for his morale.”
Despite the secret plots and the rabbits that both Jane and Candy pull out of their hats, the winning candidate doesn’t take long to break his promises. The film shows the ugly side of politics but also shows what a “roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work” attitude can accomplish. The conclusion, which features a definite change in Jane, is interesting. Unfortunately, the movie contains constant strong and harsh language and rear female nudity when Jane moons the other campaign bus. Therefore, we are unable to award the film our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.
