Box Office Review: Our Brand Is Crisis

The box office numbers don’t properly portray how enjoyable this film is. The numbers do reflect one fact, the truth in “Our Brand Is Crisis” might be for a more select audience. This is an examination on politics, manipulation and using truth to create lies.  Everything people love or hate about politics is on display throughout the entire movie. To say this film is a comedy would be an inaccurate description; however, there are enjoyable moments of comedy to provide levity in an otherwise revealing and dramatic film. “Our Brand Is Crisis” explores the art of politics and the relationships of politicians, their teams and the people they are trying to persuade.

The film centers around the country of Bolivia and its presidential election. The crew hired to help Castillo (played by Joaquim de Almeida) come up from being behind in the polls to win the election is an incredibly diverse group of talented individuals. The star who really drives the story is Jane (played by Sandra Bullock) who has come out of retirement. She’s determined to prove that she still has what it takes to win elections and will stop at nothing to beat her nemesis, Pat Candy (played by Billy Bob Thornton). The onscreen chemistry between these two incredible actors is charming and engaging to say the least. The conversations regarding their sordid past, the current election and the future are all written so well. It’s challenging not to create an opinion on the characters and the election because of how three dimensional each character is written.

This film felt like a blending of the political comedy “Wag the Dog” made in the style of Steven Soderbergh. It’s unfortunate how poorly it’s performing in box office numbers alone because this movie is worth seeing in a theater. This isn’t a special effects spectacular or action packed adventure film but it’s entertaining. There’s good reason to assume that people might finish the movie and feel slightly troubled by the truth of politics. It’s fairly common to feel an individual votes on what they believe instead of what they’re told to believe. If  the movie-going audience can embrace the fact this film reveals how politicians manipulate the public but still find enjoyment in the presentation it will see an increase in viewership. It’s unlikely but possible.

“Our Brand Is Crisis” is in theaters now! I give it my vote of confidence and hope you vote yes as well. This film is worth the ticket price and if you know someone who loves politics this is a film to treat them too. You could wait for it on Redbox but it’s a quality film you should see sooner than later. The characters are entertaining and written well, plus the story is topical and revealing.

Comment below if you’ve already seen it and share your thoughts! Join in on the fun of movie watching and be sure to share this post with anyone who you feel would enjoy another Box Office Review.

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