Our Brand is Crisis isn’t a bad movie per se but it’s one with some identity issues. Personally, it might’ve worked far better as a satire on American politics but they decided to use the country of Bolivia as a stand-in. This is the type of movie that screams rental, not much more.
Our Brand is Crisis
(2015)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Drama, Comedy
Warner Bros. | R – 107 min. – $29.98 | February 2, 2016
Date Published: 02/10/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE – 3.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: A failing Bolivian presidential candidate (JOAQUIM DE ALMEIDA) enlists the services of an American management team, led by “Calamity” Jane Bodine (SANDRA BULLOCK), a deeply damaged but brilliant strategist who comes out of self-imposed retirement for a chance to beat her professional nemesis, the loathsome Pat Candy (BILLY BOB THORNTON). With Candy working for the opposition, the race becomes a down-and-dirty battle between political consultants, where nothing is sacred and winning is all that matters. Quick Hit Review: Our Brand is Crisis is a film without any consistent identity. It seems to want to be a character study, straight-up drama, comedy and political satire. The film is based upon a 2005 documentary of the same title and it focused on American politics so it’s a tad perplexing why they would move the story to Bolivia, as a stand-in for America, rather than have it take place in the U.S. and be a biting commentary/satire on the political climate which is rich on both sides with one where a Democratic Socialist (self-identified) and the other a billionaire entertainer with a strong following out muscling those more politically experienced.
It’s an interesting dynamic that would’ve made for a fun flick but instead we get a mixed bag where the only saving grace is the performance from Sandra Bullock who still exudes charisma in spite of the problems with the screenplay and even Billy Bob Thornton playing a unapologetic slime ball is a lot of fun to watch. In the end, David Gordon Green’s (Pineapple Express) political drama/comedy has its moments for sure and might be worth a rental or catch it on Netflix or Redbox. However, it had so much more potential. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.0/5 |
| Even by Warner Brothers standards this release is shockingly light with only the featurette Sandra Bullock: A Role Like No Other (11:00; HD) included. Heck, there’s not even a slip cover, although inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. |
VIDEO – 4.25/5 |
| Our Brand is Crisis steps up to the Blu-ray podium and presents its 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio platform and 1080p high-definition bullet-point plan. The picture looks fairly standard with nice detail throughout while colors generally are bright no matter the tone the film takes from one scene to the next; skin tones also appear to be natural. There were no major instances of aliasing or artifacts making for a generally pleasing HD transfer. |
AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
| The disc comes with a basic but effective DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The vast majority of OBIC is dialogue-driven so most of the audio comes through the center channel while the rear speakers are relegated for ambient noises and the score/soundtrack. It’s nothing I’d call remarkable but good enough for this genre of film. |
OVERALL – 2.5/5 |
| Overall, Our Brand is Crisis isn’t a bad movie per se but it’s one with some identity issues. Personally, it might’ve worked far better as a satire on American politics but they decided to use the country of Bolivia as a stand-in. This is the type of movie that screams rental, not much more. The Blu-ray released by Warner has a couple throwaway features but the video and audio transfers are well done. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.