AVClub: Fictionalizing non-fiction is a common practice; most films that purport to be “based on a true story” ought to slide a “loosely” in front of that boast of veracity. But there’s dramatic license, and then there’s taking real events that are plenty interesting on their lonesome and bending them into the shape of cliché. The political comedy Our Brand Is Crisis shares a setting, an area of interest, and maybe even an ultimate message with Rachel Boynton’s decade-old documentary of the same name, about a group of American strategists energizing a doomed presidential campaign in Bolivia circa 2002. This new Crisis sticks to the basic factual outline presented by the old one, but it also subs out the major candidates for fictional proxies and invents a brassy composite main character. By changing the names, the filmmakers are able to justify converting a ground-level portrait of electioneering—all backroom shoptalk and stump speeches—into a shamelessly commercial Sandra Bullock vehicle. It’s a makeover worthy of the vote vampires it ends up critiquing and lionizing.
TRR: With the 2016 U.S. presidential elections now beginning to kick into high gear, Our Brand is Crisis appears to be very timely indeed. However, despite its relevance to current world events, the film isn't without its flaws. Directed by David Gordon Green and written by Peter Straughan, the movie deftly plays the cynicism card for both laughs and tears; that is, until its hard-edged tone starts to unravel as the film nears its inevitable conclusion. Still, it's a relatively entertaining ride while it lasts, and one that fans of political satire should certainly appreciate.
Joblo
It's really too bad that OUR BRAND IS CRISIS didn't turn out better as the ingredients are there. Had their roles been better, Bullock and Thornton could have been excellent. Green, although working in studio-mode, was able to bring on his regular DP Tim Orr and composer David Wingo, and their contributions are top-notch. It all comes down to the studio wanting to make a commercial movie out of a totally non-commercial subject. This could have been another WAG THE DOG but instead it's just another DEAL OF THE CENTURY.
The Wrap
Much has been made over the fact that Sandra Bullock‘s character in “Our Brand Is Crisis” — a high-strung political consultant called out of semi-retirement to consult on a Bolivian presidential election — was originally written to be played by a man, but one suspects that the male version was never called upon to perform as many “Miss Congeniality”-style pratfalls.
