Oscar winners Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) and Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade) offer a glimpse inside the high-powered world of the political campaign trail in the first trailer and poster for Warner Bros.' Our Brand Is Crisis. With an all-star cast, this political thriller from director David Gordon Green arrives in theaters October 30, going up against Relativity's Autobahn and Paramount's Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. This could be an early Oscar contender as well, but we'll have to see how the fans and critics alike respond
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 (Sandra 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 (Billy Bob 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. The drama also stars Anthony Mackie (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Joaquim de Almeida (Fast Five), Ann Dowd (Side Effects, HBO's The Leftovers), Scoot McNairy (Gone Girl, Argo) and Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks).
David Gordon Green directs from a screenplay by Oscar nominee Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), suggested by the documentary by Rachel Boynton, which outlined the American political campaign marketing tactics employed in the real-life 2002 Bolivian presidential election. The film is produced by Oscar-winning Smokehouse Pictures' principals Grant Heslov and George Clooney (Argo), with Sandra Bullock, Stuart M. Besser, and Participant Media's Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King serving as executive producers. The director's behind-the-scenes creative team includes frequent collaborators director of photography Tim Orr, editor Colin Patton, production designer Richard A. Wright and composer David Wingo (Manglehorn), as well as costume designer Jenny Eagan (Now You See Me).
The film comes along at a perfect time, as the political race to determine the next President of the United States starts to heat up, leading into the 2016 election. Do you think Our Brand Is Crisis could emerge as a viable Oscar contender? Let us know what you think after checking out the first trailer, along with the new poster.
