Our Brand Is Crisis is the fictionalized tale of the 2005 election in Bolivia that resulted in a government that was overthrown six months later. It’s the story of the campaign to elect former president Pedro Castillo fifteen years after he last held office – or rather, it’s the story of the battle between the genius campaign strategists for Castillo and his most popular opponent, a populist named Rivera, and the tricks dirty or otherwise that are employed by both.

Sadly, despite characters modeled on real and effective political figures (the film’s Calamity Jane Bodine is modeled after James Carville), the film is slowly paced and never quite makes up its mind whether it’s a breezy comedy, a sly political satire, or a serious drama. Sometimes a movie can be all over the place and the performances can save it. That’s not the case here.

Continue reading Our Brand Is Crisis: Our Brand Is In Crisis! →