Sandra Bullock and director David Gordon Green both like to dabble in comedy and drama in fair doses. Using this to their advantage, they're set to enter the Oscar race through the political one, starring in and directing, respectively, the Bolivian campaign trail-based dramatic satire Our Brand is Crisis. To give audiences the first taste of what they can expect this fall, the first trailer dropped.
This promo comes days before the Warner Bros. feature makes its official TIFF premiere, starting this Friday.
Based on the 2005 documentary of the same name, Our Brand is Crisis is a fictionalized account of the highly impassioned 2002 Bolivian presidential election. It's focused on 'Calamity' Jane Bodine (Bullock), whom the trailer calls "the brightest and most innovative" campaign strategist at the time, returning from a humiliating professional setback to salvage a flailing presidential candidate (Joachim de Almeida). Bodine's actions are fueled by the opportunity to take down her professional nemesis Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton with a shaved head), the man coaching her opponent.
Though Green separated himself with the studio system with a series of indies of late, including Manglehorn earlier this year, Our Brand is Crisis finds the filmmaker back in the game. With George Clooney and Grant Heslov on board as producers, the team wants eagerly to make this their next Argo, and their extortion is definitely noticeable in this trailer. If, sadly, to a fault. Though Green's style and nuanced flourishes radiate in select moments, this trailer comes across a little too paint-by-numbers in its approach to stand out, but perhaps this is just the studio hoping to attract a larger audience.
The cast is certainly impressive, with Ann Dowd, Scoot McNairy, Zoe Kazan and Anthony Mackie rounding out the supporting cast and Thornton appearing to be the standout, and hopefully their efforts win this out. Green's done an impeccable job recently with standing out with thoughtful character pics and one hopes this doesn't derail from the good work he's accomplished. He's too talented and distinct a filmmaker to see him squander his potential. He also works from a screenplay from Peter Straughan, behind Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, so he is in good hands. This weekend will let audience members know where he stands with his latest, though, and perhaps this'll become a contender to watch for.
For the time being, check out the trailer, via WB, below:
Image courtesy of INFphoto.com