Almost really good, except not, Our Brand is Crisis is a well-acted drama-comedy-political satire-something that doesn't know what it is or what it wants to be, which unfortunately means you'll be confused--not by the story--but by whether the movie was worth your time at all. I'm still trying to figure it out myself, though this much is clear: Our Brand is Crisis is one of those movies that I'll have forgotten about completely in approximately two months.

Let the over/under betting begin.

Our Brand is Crisis is Sandra Bullock's first live-action film since 2013's Gravity roared into theaters, and despite a solid performance from the Oscar winner, this movie lacks any kind of real edge--strange, because edgy is exactly what it's going for. Bullock's character, like everyone else in the movie, isn't very likable--because her job is to win elections, regardless of how shitty the candidate she works for is. Emotions, the right choice, the good person... they're all irrelevant; who wins and loses is the only thing that matters. Bullock plays her character well, but the role itself, like the movie overall, feels inconsequential; as good as she is, this will be a forgotten performance from her.

But again, that's a problem with the movie, not her. Bullock's character feels cut short, as do those around her: Billy Bob Thornton plays the snake, her arch nemesis, the man we're supposed to hate, but he's arguably more likable than she is and certainly no more ruthless. Joaquim de Almeida plays her client, but never once do we see in him the reason why Bullock's character suddenly emerges from her depressed slump to throw blows for him. There's no one to latch onto.

The movie has sort of been marketed as a comedy, and is described as such on IMDB, but the marketing team's lack of commitment is telling: even they didn't know what the hell this movie is. There are some funny moments in Our Brand is Crisis, but not nearly enough to grant comedy status upon this film: it simply lacks jokes and is arguably not a comedy at all, but a political satire that plays things seriously, and to a fault.

Our Brand is Crisis has some entertainment value, as muted as it is, but when the end credits roll, you're left wondering what was the point? It's not that the movie is pointless--it's just that you were never sure whether you were supposed to laugh as director David Gordon Green (who has made a couple great movies, a couple terrible ones, and, like Our Brand is Crisis, a few instantly forgettable ones) makes fun of the modern political process or grimace at it. If it's intended to be a comedy, it's not funny. As a drama, it is inconsequential. And as an edgy something-or-another, it simply fails.

Review by Erik Samdahl.