Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for director David Gordon Green's (Pineapple Express, George Washington) satirical comedy Our Brand Is Crisis. Produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov and scripted by Peter Straughan (Men Who Stare at Goats), the film stars Sandra Bullock as a notorious political strategist who is pulled out of retirement to aid a Bolivian candidate who's failing badly at the polls—and to beat her nemesis Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), who's now coaching the opposition.
Green is an endlessly fascinating filmmaker. After hitting the mainstream with Pineapple Express and following up with R-rated comedies like The Sitter and Your Highness, Green retreated to his dramatic roots with a string of darker, more complex dramas like Prince Avalanche and Joe. Our Brand Is Crisis looks to blend Green's mainstream and indie sensibilities with a film that appears to meld strong satirical comedy with more intimate, dramatic character moments. And how better to bring them to life than Bullock, a terrifically talented actress at ease in both worlds. Crisis looks more dramatic and thoughtful than I imagined from reading the simple synopsis, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Watch the trailer for Our Brand Is Crisis below, via Warner Bros. The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, beginning this week, and opens on October 30th. Anthony Mackie, Joaquim de Almeida, Ann Dowd, Zoe Kazan, and Scoot McNairy also star.
Here's the official synopsis for Our Brand Is Crisis:
A Bolivian presidential candidate failing badly in the polls enlists the firepower of an elite American management team, led by the deeply damaged but still brilliant strategist “Calamity” Jane Bodine (Bullock). In self-imposed retirement following a scandal that earned her nickname and rocked her to her core, Jane is coaxed back into the game for the chance to beat her professional nemesis, the loathsome Pat Candy (Thornton), now coaching the opposition.
But as Candy zeroes in on every vulnerability – both on and off the campaign trail – Jane is plunged into a personal crisis as intense as the one her team exploits nationally to boost their numbers. Dramatic, rapid-fire and laced with satire, “Our Brand is Crisis” reveals the cynical machinations and private battles of world-class political consultants for whom nothing is sacred and winning is all that matters.
