WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Politics. The ever so colorful world of politicians and those whose job it is to “market” them to the masses when it comes to election time. With all the posturing, ads, and smear campaigns, it’s a wonder anyone keeps their sanity, or ethics, intact when immersed in such a cacophony of maneuvering and backstabbing. But for veteran political consultant Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock), it was the existence she lived for, until some particularly bad choices during one campaign sidelined her and garnered her the nickname “Calamity Jane”. Years later, Jane is approached by a friend and colleague Nell (Ann Dowd) plus fellow strategist Ben (Anthony Mackie) with an offer to help salvage the Bolivian presidential bid of Pedro Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida).
With ninety days to bolster/reinvent Castillo’s image and presence against his popular rival Victor Rivera (Louis Arcella), Jane’s initial ideas don’t have much merit until certain events unfold that cause her to realize that crisis is the campaigns friend. Taking on a whole new set of tactics and stratagem, Jane and the campaign team embark on a new quest to show the Bolivian people that Castillo is their best choice in representing the country. Things take a challenging turn, however, when Jane discovers Rivera’s strategist is arch rival, Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton). Battling immense odds and using methods some aren’t convinced by, Jane pushes to ensure Castillo’s victory, but then questions her motivations and the person she’s actually becoming.
Next, my Mind:
Fictionalizing the actual 2002 Bolivian presidential elections and the U.S. consulting firm, Greenberg Carver Shrum, that was hired to help one candidate’s platform, “Our Brand Is Crisis” would seem to present an intriguing plotline along with boasting a solid cast, anchored by Bullock. Unfortunately, the final product simply doesn’t end up on all cylinders, and becomes bogged down in its attempts to create a solid political drama with comedic overtones. It honestly feels forced, not really revealing what it wants to be, and instead plods along with only meager comedic content and lackluster engagement for the viewer. So, despite being loosely based on actual events as indicated above, there’s simply nothing presented that truly draws you into wanting to invest in the narrative.
Bullock, whose strong dramatic roles in efforts such as “The Blind Side” and “Gravity”, plus masterful comedic fare like “The Proposal”, just seems entirely out of place here, delivering an adequate performance that could have been so much more had better material been offered. There just wasn’t any real fire or passion, even if the attempts were being made to have the viewer be pulled into Jane’s tale. The same can be said for Thornton and de Almeida, both of whom have turned in some pure excellence in film, but likewise seem wasted here. While one could ultimately find themselves at least feeling some sympathy/empathy for the plight of the Bolivian people in the time this movie represented, even that almost seemed overtly melodramatic rather than heartfelt. Like so many political ads, this was shallow content with no clear agenda, and are therefore left in crisis.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
