Sandra Bullock is in a good position for a movie star, and you can’t begrudge her that success. She’s got an Oscar (“The Blind Side”) and many solid crowd-pleasers (“Gravity,” “Speed,” etc.) behind her, so she can afford to be choosy. And this cynical comedy about American political campaign strategists in Bolivia is a good choice. Maybe not a great movie, but well intentioned and delivered.
We applaud her for making it. Or at least that’s what we say in public, and “Our Brand is Crisis” is all about the backstage duplicity behind such solemn civic pronouncements.
Jane Bodine (Bullock) is washed-up and making pottery when we meet her, six years removed from politics (and personal disgrace). This being a Sandra Bullock vehicle, we expect our jaded heroine to somehow be redeemed.
Arrogant rich Senator Castillo (sly Joaquim de Almeida, better than he needs to be) is the vehicle for such vindication, but Jane’s main interest is defeating rival politico Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton, in softly malevolent “House of Cards” mode), who’s backing the leader in Bolivia’s presidential race. (The changing polls and countdown to election day are regularly flashed on screen.)
Jane and Pat keep trading shots and playing dirty tricks on each other, all quite amusing, but how can we American viewers be surprised by their cynical antics? “Our Brand” constantly explains such underhanded deeds to the astonished Bolivians, but we know all this stuff already — we’ve been inoculated to cynicism from Richard Nixon to Lee Atwater to Donald Trump and beyond.
In all respects, “Our Brand” is old news. The dialogue lags way behind the intelligence of an average “The West Wing” rerun (as does Aaron Sorkin these days) — obvious and explanatory, like Machiavelli for Dummies.
The film thinks we should be shocked, shocked!, like Jane’s idealistic mascot Eddie (Reynaldo Pacheco) at these shenanigans, but we’ve seen this movie — I mean political campaign — too many times. (Every four years, in fact.)
In an age when Ben Carson compares women seeking to control their bodies to Nazis, can we be surprised when these dastardly spinmeisters resort to doctored Klaus Barbie photos? Oh, and an adorable llama is gratuitously killed via CGI; was Mitt Romney’s dog treated any better?
Still, when it comes to clueless Yankees running amok in a foreign land, “Our Brand” is relatively harmless — unlike the deeply stupid and offensive “Rock the Kasbah,” the worst movie I’ve seen so far this year. In some developing nations, politics are still a life-and-death concern — as are women’s rights, free expression, and even singing Cat Stevens tunes on a silly Afghan TV talent show.
However jaundiced, Jane is at least aware of such facts on the ground, while Bill Murray’s blithe talent manager remains damningly oblivious, like Kasbah’s filmmakers, to such stark reality.
The savvy careerist Bullock, one of this film’s producers, has surrounded herself with talent, from director David Gordon Green (“George Washington,” “Pineapple Express”) to writer Peter Straughan (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”).
Jane’s team (Anthony Mackie, Ann Dowd, Scott McNairy, Zoe Kazan) is also top-shelf. Yet the movie feels hopelessly dated, far behind the current election cycle/circus. While set in the smartphone present, it’s loosely inspired by the 2005 doc of the same name, which followed Evo Morales’ 2002 path to power in Bolivia.
That account featured James Carville, the rough basis for Thornton’s character; and Jane can be seen as the Mary Matalin-esque foil, only there’s no romance here — just civilized spite. This will disappoint some of Bullock’s fans, as will the subtitles and (worthwhile) immersion in Bolivian culture.
But the real problem with “Our Brand,” for fans and voters alike, is that it repeatedly tells us what we already understand: Politicians lie. Voters are fools. The game is rigged. Democracy is a rotten system — and yet there’s no better alternative. “The War Room” made the same points two decades ago, only more entertainingly. As will the next Republican debate.
Brian Miller is arts editor at the Seattle Weekly. He can be reached at bmiller@seattleweekly.com or 206-467-4372.
“Our Brand is Crisis”
Rating: R, for sexual references, language
Showing: Alderwood Mall, Everett Stadium, Galaxy Monroe, Marysille, Stanwood Cinemas, Oak Tree, SIFF Cinema Uptown, Sundance Cinemas Seattle, Pacific Place, Woodinville, Cascade Mall
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