Sandra Bullock To Star In Christopher McQuarrie-Scripted 'Unforgiven' Remake For Netflix

Stow your freakout! This isn't the Unforgiven you're thinking of.

For years, an adaptation of the BBC miniseries Unforgiven has been in the works, with the last time back in 2013 when Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie came aboard. Finally, producer Grahame King has seen his long-developing project find a home at Netflix with Sandra Bullock starring and McQuarrie's screenplay intact.

The news comes from Deadline, who say Bullock will follow up her Netflix smash Bird Box with the starring role in Unforgiven. A film remake of the BBC miniseries, it centers on a woman released from prison after serving 15 years for the murder of two policemen who had tried to evict her. She re-enters society looking for a fresh start, but is targeted for revenge by the family of her victims. Her only hope for redemption is to find the estranged sister she was forced to leave behind.

McQuarrie wrote the screenplay, having been attached to the film since back when Angelina Jolie was involved. He still holds this project very close to his heart based on this tweet...

This one is near and dear to my heart. I’m honored to know it’s in such good hands.

Fun fact: The first draft was written in 2010. #KeepWritinghttps://t.co/bazwRjV4nU

— Christopher McQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) November 4, 2019

Behind the camera is German filmmaker Nora Fingscheidt, whose debut film System Crasher has been put up as an entry for the Academy Awards.

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Sandra Bullock Reteams With Netflix For Millarworld's 'Reborn'

I think Sandra Bullock's Bird Box had more viewers than their are actual Netflix accounts, or at least the numbers were astronomically high. And of course Netflix wants to stay in business with her, but the surprising news is the project they're collaborating on next is an adaptation of Mark Millar and Greg Cappulo's comic, Reborn.

It was just a couple of years ago that Netflix purchased Millarworld, the graphic novel universe of characters created by Mark Millar, creator of Wanted, Kick-Ass, and more. The streaming service will cash in on that now, with Deadline reporting that Bullock will produce and possibly star in Reborn, to be directed by The Lego Batman Movie's Chris McKay. Makes me wonder if he's still doing that live-action Nightwing movie for the DCEU. Probably not.

Originally published by Image Comics in 2016, Reborn follows 80-year-old Bonnie Black, a Manhattan woman who dies in a hospital and wakes up reborn in the prime of her life in a place called Adstyria, “a magical land of monsters and dragons where good and evil are waging an eternal war. There, she finds old friends and loved ones waiting, except the husband who died before her. Armed with a sword and partnered with her late father, she sets off through the battle-torn landscape on a quest to find out where he is.”

No word on when this will begin, but it's only the latest of many Millarworld projects Netflix will be revealing details on.

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Review: 'Bird Box', Sandra Bullock Leads Netflix''s Terrifying But Familiar Survival Horror

That Sandra Bullock would be someone to turn to in a post-apocalyptic world shouldn't be a surprise. Tough and resilient is just what she does, right? In Netflix's survival horror Bird Box, Bullock's character Malorie isn't taking any shit. She can't afford to. Right from the very beginning she's informing two small children, Boy (Julian Edwards) and Girl (Vivien Lyra Blair) to do as she says, no exceptions. To disobey her is to die, and to disobey her would be to remove their blindfolds. What's out there that's so terrible everyone must shield their eyes at all times? We never truly know, and that's one of the most compelling and terrifying aspects of a film has thrills to spare, even if it borrows from a lot of familiar sources to make them happen.

Bird Box throws one mystery after another at you, with answers that are spooled out over the course of Malorie's five-year-long story. First, why don't the children with her have names? Second, what's out there that has them so spooked? And third, where is the blindfolded Malorie taking them in that rickety old boat up a dangerous river? Flashing back in time we see a pregnant, slightly happier Malorie. She still isn't so sure about wanting to keep the baby, despite what her upbeat sister (Sarah Paulson) has to say. The choice is basically taken out of Malorie's hands when the world suddenly goes to shit. It starts with a wave of suicides in another country, then spreads to the U.S. The ensuing carnage looks like something out of 28 Days Later.

It doesn't take long to figure out what's happening. There are creatures out there that can force anyone who lays sight on them to commit suicide. A woman in a hospital, happy one moment, bashes her head against a window the next. People throw themselves out of windows, or in front of cars, and those who aren't affected nearly trample one another to get away. Malorie is nearly stampeded herself, but manages to make her way into a nearby home, shared by a random group of strangers just as scared and confused as her. Well, except for John Malkovich's character, a rifle-toting jerk with no time for all of these people invading his space.

The Mist is arguably my favorite Stephen King adaptation, and I love Dawn of the Dead. Put a motley crew of folks in a contained space while all Hell breaks loose outside and I'm a happy moviegoer. So Bird Box was checking off all the boxes for me at this point, with a pregnant Malorie holed up with a powder keg of divergent personalities. Jacki Weaver plays a helpful older lady, with Lil Rey Howery as a wannabe writer of apocalyptic novels, Danielle Macdonald (of Netflix's recent comedy Dumplin') is a sweet and naïve pregnant woman, with Rosa Salazar, Colson Baker (aka rapper Machine Gun Kelly), and BD Wong as others trapped inside. Pretty great cast for Bullock to be surrounded with, but the most impressive by far is Moonlight and The Predator breakout, Trevante Rhodes. As Tom, he bonds with Malorie right away and soon becomes the person she leans on most. Rhodes' physicality is prominent, as always, but so is the sensitivity that made his performance in Moonlight such a showstopper. It's a great role for him, and he works very well opposite Bullock.

Oscar and Emmy-winning director Susanne Bier (In A Better World, The Night Manager) ventures into genre territory for the first time and she does a solid job building up tension both inside the house and during Malorie's treacherous trek along the river. A particularly good sequence involves the group venturing out into a darkened car to retrieve food, only to be assaulted by the creatures which we can barely make out in shadow, the car's GPS and proximity alerts going haywire the whole time. While we never see the actual creatures, a damn smart move, when they are near it causes the winds to swirl with their power. Only birds seem to recognize when an attack is near. With the help of Trent Rezor's ominous score, there are moments when Bird Box will have you gripping the edge of your seat, although I suspect some will get a little stir crazy at the overlong homebound portion. As the creatures' power expands, more human threats emerge that I wish could have been explained in greater detail.

I'm not sure fracturing the narrative proved to be a storytelling strength for Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer, however. In most cases it's done so that events from the past can add modern context but all it did for me was telegraph who wasn't going to survive staying in that house. The two halves don't make for a cohesive whole, even if Bird Box's individual parts scratch the itch for those looking for multiplex-worthy scares they can watch from the comfort of home.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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'Bird Box' Trailer: Sandra Bullock Leads Netflix's Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

Sandra Bullock is coming at the awards season in an unexpected fashion, with the Netflix horror-thriller Bird Box. Well, given the love being shown to A Quiet Place this year maybe that's not so crazy, and both films share aspects that play on the audience's senses to unnerving effect.

Beyond the promise of Bullock in the lead role, there's also Academy Award-winning director Susanne Bier behind the camera. The latest trailer gives us a little bit more of the plot and maybe gives only a little too much away. Basically, Bullock plays a mother trying to save her children from a supernatural force that can cause those who look upon it to kill themselves. Hence the blindfolds.

More stuff to get excited about? The script is by Arrival writer Eric Heisserer, and the supporting cast is excellent with Trevante Rhodes, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, Colson Baker, BD Wong, Sarah Paulson, and John Malkovich. Damn, Netflix!

Bird Box hits Netflix on December 21st, the busiest weekend of the month. So if you don't feel like braving the crowded multiplexes, you can stay home on the couch and check out a big screen quality flick.

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'Bird Box' Trailer: Sandra Bullock Must Go Sightless To Survive In Netflix's Nerve-Racking Thriller

John Krasinski's A Quiet Place made deafness creepy as Hell, all the way to record-shattering box office early this year. Could Susanne Bier's Bird Box do the same for blindness, while carrying Sandra Bullock and Netflix all the way to the Academy Awards? The adaptation of Josh Malerman's post-apocalyptic novel finds Bullock  blindfolded for most of the film, as she must navigate a perilous journey without the use of her sight due to a mysterious force that drives people mad with just a glimpse.

Here's the official synopsis: When a mysterious force decimates the world’s population, only one thing is certain: if you see it, you take your life.  Facing the unknown, Malorie finds love, hope and a new beginning only for it to unravel. Now she must flee with her two children down a treacherous river to the one place left that may offer sanctuary. But to survive, they’ll have to undertake the perilous two-day journey blindfolded.

The trailer covers a lot of ground, as we see Bullock's character Malorie before, during, and after the force has destroyed everything.  Bullock is joined in the cast by Trevante Rhodes, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, Colson Baker, BD Wong, and John Malkovich, which is about as good as it gets.  And Bier is no slouch, either. She won an Academy Award in 2010 for In a Better World, and has directed other high profile films such as After the Wedding, Serena, and most recently won an Emmy for miniseries The Night Manager. On script duties is Eric Heisserer, who wrote the terrific script for Arrival.

Bird Box hits Netflix and select theaters on December 21st.

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Review: 'Ocean's 8', Sandra Bullock And Co. Pull Off An Entertaining Heist With Few Imperfections

You don't need a jeweler's loupe to see the similarities between Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11 films and Gary Ross's breezy, female-led Ocean's 8. The surface pleasures are largely the same, and so are the imperfections. The heist is, by and large, the least interesting thing about these movies. We show up to see beautiful all-star casts mingling in designer outfits, and Ocean's 8, which must have a costume budget bigger than some entire productions, delivers on everything we hoped for, just from a female perspective.

It was a savvy move extending the popular Ocean's franchise in this way, but the brightest decision of all was the casting of Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, equally criminal sister to George Clooney's thieving Danny Ocean. Bullock, whose career has been marked by roles that emphasize the clash between her physical beauty and manly abrasiveness, is a perfect face for a film that looks to appeal to new and old audiences alike.

Everything will feel familiar right from the jump, with the film even opening in a parole hearing just like Ocean's 11 did. That's where Debbie, forever the con, fools her way to freedom with some bunk about wanting to live "the simple life." Within moments of being released, in a swanky low cut dress I might add, she's off and planning her next big job; stealing a jewel worth $150M from the Met Gala, right off the perfect neck of ditzy actress/socialite Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway).

The best part of these movies is, of course, assembling the team, and Debbie first calls out to her former partner Lou (Cate Blanchett), who is reluctant but clearly interested.  It's here that costume designer Sarah Edwards clearly defines each character's personality through their individual style. Lou rocks out in a collection of slick Burberry suits (that powder blue joint!!); Rihanna gets grungy as hacker Nine Ball; Awkwafina goes skate-style as pickpocket Constance; the reliably quirky Helena Bonham Carter as disgraced fashion designer Rose Weil; a slightly conservative style for Mindy Kaling as jeweler Amita; and Sarah Paulson decked out in suburban wear as Tammy, a fence and stay-at-home mommy.

These movies are meant to be glamorous, stylish affairs that leave the audience swooning at the latest fashion trends on display and the beautiful celebs wearing them. It's perfectly alright and expected, but the script co-written by director Gary Ross and Olivia Milch also recognizes the world we live in now. "A Him gets noticed, a Her gets ignored" Debbie replies when asked why no men are allowed on the team, a snappy and timely line that drew applause from the crowd at the screening I attended. There isn't much in the way of conflict among the team, or in the crime itself, choosing instead to celebrate female camaraderie rather than turn this into a lazy cat fight. Men get short shrift, of course, including a former flame (Richard Armitage) just asking for a comeuppance of some sort, and you wish there was someone who could pose a threat Debbie's team. While never boring, the film doesn't give you any reason to think the job will be unsuccessful, either by internal or external forces.

Ross does a pretty good job mimicking Soderbergh's stylish cinematic cues. Montages, slick editing, screen wipes, nostalgic musical notes...they're all in here and you'd never know Soderbergh was only listed as a producer. If the film is a hit and he sticks around, one has to wonder if he'll recruit his Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence into the fold. She'd fit in perfectly with this group, especially alongside Bullock and Blanchett. They don't quite have the same chemistry as Clooney and Pitt, but that would be tough for any duo to achieve. Hathaway is having way too much fun playing the airhead, while Rihanna has what I think is her strongest role in a major film yet.

Ironically, Ocean's 8 isn't here to con anybody. It is here simply to entertain, to dazzle us with pithy jokes and an excess of eye candy. On that all-important score, these ladies have proveb they are just as capable of getting the job done as any man.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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'Ocean's 8' Trailer: Meet Sandra Bullock's New Team Of Thieving Ladies

The timing on this new trailer for Ocean's 8 couldn't be more perfect. We've just come off a month with two muscular Marvel movies and a Star Wars spinoff featuring the most dashing rogue in the galaxy. That's a lot of dude energy audiences have been hit with, so how about a dose of girl power to even things out?

Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, and Helena Bonham Carter steal the heist franchise away from the guys, but the formula remains the same. An all-star cast play a ragtag group of thieves to steal something incredibly valuable, in this case a $150M necklace from the Met Gala.

Honestly, they don't need to put out anymore trailers for this. The cast sells itself, and I think after so many gigantic blockbusters it'll be nice to settle down with something breezy.

Directed by Gary Ross, Ocean's 8 opens June 8th.

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'Ocean's 8' Trailer: Sandra Bullock And Cate Blanchett Are In It For The Diamonds

There's no such thing as a dead franchise in Hollywood, and lately we've seen some of the most successful reborn with a gender-swapping twist. Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11 movies are the most mainstream he's ever done, combining an all-star cast of handsome dudes to pull off a series of entertaining swindles. And now the series is back with Ocean's 8, which finds Soderbergh passing the baton to his buddy Gary Ross and a cast led by Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, who has gathered a crew of thieving ladies to pull of a heist her estranged brother wouldn't dare try.

Bullock is joined by Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rhianna, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina, Mindy Kaling, and Sarah Paulson, who plot to rob the Met Ball, and possibly a diamond necklace worn by Hathaway's character. Confused? Isn't Hathaway in on the heist?  Yeah, probably. Or maybe not? Expect plenty of double-crosses in this con game.

This looks great based on the outfits alone. What's the costume budget on this thing?

Ocean's 8 opens on June 8th.

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'Ocean's 8' Trailer: Sandra Bullock Leads An All-Star Team Of Thieving Ladies

The idea of a fourth entry in the long-dormant Ocean's Eleven franchise is hardly exciting...until you look at the cast for Ocean's 8.  Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Sarah Paulson.  Yes, please! And you know what? The trailer doesn't look half bad, either. Let the thieving fun begin.

Directed by Gary Ross and co-starring James Corden, Richard Armitage, and Damian Lewis, the film finds Debbie Ocean putting together her own all-star team of crooks to rob New York City's Met Gala. Do we really need to know anything else? It's a shame that the two highest-profile female-driven movies of the past year have been followups to male-led properties, but anything that puts this group together is okay by me.

Ocean's 8 opens June 8th 2018!

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Sandra Bullock's Team Assembles In First Poster For 'Ocean's 8'

Hopefully the release of this snazzy poster (with a great tagline) for Ocean's 8 means a trailer is right around the corner.  Seriously, check out that coat game. All of these ladies are on point. The film, which some have mistakenly called a reboot, is actually a sequel or a continuation of the trilogy of heist movies that starred George Clooney as high-class thief Danny Ocean. Only in this one we're following his thieving sister, Debbie Ocean, played by Sandra Bullock. She's joined in her team of crooks by Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter.

What's the big crime these ladies are trying to pull off? All we know is that it'll take place at New York City's star-studded Met Gala, and will apparently get under the skin of Debbie's ex, played by Damian Lewis. Richard Armitage also has a role, and there will be celebrity cameos galore, including Matt Damon and Carl Reiner returning from the previous movies.

Directed by Gary Ross, Ocean's 8 opens June 8th 2018.

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Sandra Bullock Challenges Sexist Attackers To Actually Watch 'Ocean's 8' First

I'm not sure we actually need a new Ocean's 11 movie of any kind. The prior trilogy, which was full of dudes plus Julia Roberts and the occasional Catherine Zeta-Jones, was fine for its time and the first one actually holds up pretty well. Can't say the same for the sequels that followed. But it turns out that with everything going on in Hollywood right now, Sandra Bullock's Ocean's 8 may be arriving at exactly the right time, and she knows it.

EW has released a new image featuring Bullock as Debbie Ocean, the thieving sister of George Clooney's Danny Ocean, along with co-stars Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, and rapper Awkwafina. Missing from this shot is Anne Hathaway, but since she's already played renowned cat burglar Catwoman she can afford to take some time off.

While this image is pretty cool, what's even better is Bullock's attitude about the whole thing. Last year the female-led Ghostbusters film faced a ton of backlash from sexist guys who couldn't accept women rebooting the classic comedy. They put the cast through a social media crucible like nothing we've ever seen, and Bullock practically dares for the same thing to happen to her or her co-stars...

"They did put them through hell. And I’m still trying to figure out why. Forget what the final product was! There were four or five of the most talented comediennes in that film. Everyone should’ve just taken a breath and said, “let’s see what happens.” It doesn’t take just five people to make a movie. It’s pretty much like around 300. So I keep reminding everybody, if you hate my film remember there’s another 299 people all around me. We’re not a reboot. We’re just a this is what’s happening in 2017. It’s not even a passing of the torch. It’s a parallel story of another family member that was raised in the same family Danny Ocean was and what happens when Debbie steps out of jail with all of these amazing, powerful women."

Bullock admits they've already taken some heat, but she isn't scared...

"We got some but boy, I mean, I’ll tell you, we’ve got some feisty women that will fight right back. It’s like, let’s just take a breath and let’s just see if we come up with something fun. There should be a moratorium. There should be a rule, you’re not allowed to say anything nasty until after it comes out. Obviously that’s never going to happen."

Nope, probably not. I can't help but wonder how Ghostbusters would do if it came out now rather than a year ago. It might have fared a bit better. Hopefully Ocean's 8 won't get dragged down by a bunch of insecure dudes when it opens next year on June 8th.

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Sandra Bullock To Play Filibustering Senator Wendy Davis In 'Let Her Speak'

If you don't know Texas state senator Wendy Davis, you should. In January 2013 she held a 13-hour filibuster on the state Senate floor to block what would have been the most restrictive anti-abortion bill.  Her efforts brought her national attention and the adoration of millions who support a woman's right to choose, and now her story is about to become a movie with Sandra Bullock attached...for now.

Bullock is on board to star in Let Her Speak, as long as a director is found that she approves of. Oh, okay. The film will tackle Davis' epic filibuster, the old school Mr. Smith Goes To Washington-style of talking filibuster that doesn't allow you to sit or eat or go to the bathroom or anything.  Davis was a mom at a young age but didn't let that slow her down, rising to become a Harvard-educated lawyer before joining the senate.

It's a great story that deserves to be told and having Bullock promises it will get seen. Check out Davis reflecting on the filibuster below.

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Sandra Bullock Joins Netflix's Post-Apocalyptic Thriller, 'Bird Box'

The post-apocalyptic thriller Bird Box has been in the works for a few years, and last we heard it had Andy Muschietti, director of the upcoming remake of Stephen King's It, attached to direct. But to be fair, his name is attached to everything lately.  Since then, Universal dropped it and the rights were picked up by Netflix, and now they've added a dose of star power at the top, while Muschietti is no longer on board.

Sandra Bullock is in talks to star in the film, an adaptation of the 2014 novel by The High Strung frontman Josh Malerman. The story is "set in the near future when a mother (Bullock) and her two young children are among a small group of survivors after a mysterious alien force has driven the world's population to deadly violence. The three must make their way on a terrifying journey — 20 miles in a rowboat — while blindfolded, with nothing to rely on but the mother's wits and the children's trained ears."

Taking over as director is Oscar winner Susanne Bier, who made up for the dismal Serena with the hit TV miniseries, The Night Manager. She'll be working from a script by Eric Heisserer, writer of Arrival, so a lot of talent everywhere on this one.  Let's hope Netflix can do it justice.

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Sandra Bullock Takes The Wheel For Thriller, 'Cash Truck'

We haven't seen much of anything from Sandra Bullock since 2015's Our Brand is Crisis, a film that some thought would be an Oscar contender but instead swirled down the drain. She's just wrapped on Ocean's Eight and that looks like a fairly safe, franchise comedy, but now today at Cannes she has lined up what will be coming next, and it doesn't sound quite so safe.

Bullock will star in Cash Truck, a film inspired by the 2004 French thriller,  Le Convoyeur. Josef Wladyka (Narcos) will direct from a script hailing from three talented writers: Albert Hughes (Menace II Society), John Hodge (Trainspotting), and Ethan Erwin (Solstice). Bullock plays an American who has fallen on hard times and takes a job at a London armored truck company that was recently the target of a deadly heist. As she goes to dangerous lengths to pursue a mysterious agenda, an explosive secret from her past emerges.

This one just came together at Cannes so no word on when it will shoot, but I imagine Bullock won't be sitting around for too long. [Deadline]

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The 'Ocean's Eight' Ladies Catch A Ride In The First Official Image

While it's still a full 18 months away, Warner Bros. has decided it's never too early to get you excited for Ocean's 8. And what a better way to do it, than by revealing the all-star cast of thieving ladies together on the subway train. I don't recall Danny Ocean's crew slummin' it quite like this.

Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, and Mindy Kaling are all looking pretty sharp and somewhat lost in thought on the NYC subway system. That's a good way to miss your stop, just sayin'. Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, the sister to George Clooney's Danny, who puts together her own team of crooks to pull off an incredible heist at the Met Gala. Not pictured is Damien Lewis as the target and Matt Damon who is supposed to reprise his Linus Caldwell role from the prior movies. Expect a ton of celebrity guest stars, too, like the Kardashians, Katie Holmes, James Corden, and more.

Directed by Gary Ross, Ocean's 8 opens June 8th 2018.

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Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Gary Ross Plan All-Female 'Ocean's Eleven'

This weekend sees the release of the political film Our Brand is Crisis (review here) which stars Sandra Bullock and is produced by George Clooney, who was originally set for the lead role. The two starred together in Gravity last year, and clearly the working relationship they've forged has been a beneficial one, which is why it's going to continue in one of the more surprising upcoming projects; an all-female Ocean's Eleven.

ThePlaylist broke the news, stating that the film has been in the works for quite some time with Clooney, Steven Soderbergh, and Jerry Weintraub producing. When Weintraub passed away the project was in limbo for a while, but now it's back and ready to go. On board to direct is Gary Ross (The Hunger Games), with Olivia Milch (Queen & Country) writing the script. As for what it could be, like a spinoff or some kind of remake, is unclear but there's a chance of Clooney's Danny Ocean character turning up.

Swapping gender roles has become a popular trend lately, not just in the movies but in all forms of media. From the female-led Ghostbusters to a lady Thor, women are taking more prominent roles than ever before. No word on when this Ocean's Eleven project will get going, but it's expected to be next for Ross after he finishes Free State of Jones starring Matthew McConaughey.

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Review: 'Our Brand Is Crisis' Starring Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton

If there's any political insight to be found in David Gordon Green's razor thin Our Brand is Crisis, it's that American political campaigns are pretty awful, especially when they're in other countries. Not that this will come as news to anyone who has had to endure a Donald Trump or Ben Carson stump speech lately, but the campaigns are all about instilling as much fear into the voters as possible. Who cares what the candidate actually stands for? So how does that work when those tactics are applied to foreign elections? Like a bland, unfunny political movie that has been focus grouped to death, apparently.

Based loosely on Rachel Boynton's stellar award-winning documentary, Our Brand is Crisis is all about the dirty tactics waged by one American marketing firm during the Bolivian presidential election. Once again taking on the role of "savior to brown people everywhere" is Sandra Bullock as Jane Bodine, a strategist whose nickname "Calamity Jane" has been well-earned. After a series of major defeats she hit rock bottom and retired completely off the political grid, content in solitude and pottery projects. But that's before she's convinced to return and help lead the flagging campaign of Mitt Romney-esque Bolivian presidential candidate Pedro Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida). An ex-President who sold out the people to corporations, Castillo trails his opponent by 28 points largely because nobody trusts him.

So why would Bodine come back to bat for such a losing team? Because it gives her a chance to exact revenge on her greatest rival, Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), who was hired by Castillo's opponent. Bodine and Candy are known for their dirty, totally immoral "win at any costs" tactics, but the simplified screenplay by Peter Straughan (Frank, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) draws a clear good guy vs. bad guy line in the sand. It's an approach he takes towards the entire story, perhaps in an effort to make the film as palatable to audiences as possible.

The thing is Our Brand is Crisis should be a very complex story about American interference in foreign elections, but it's just...not. Instead it's like Green used this as an opportunity to reconcile his somewhat schizophrenic career. This is the same guy who directed downbeat indie dramas such as George Washington and All the Real Girls before embracing R-rated low-brow comedies like The Sitter and Your Highness. While there are a few insightful moments in Our Brand is Crisis, mostly involving Castillo as he tries to be more than the corrupt politician he's been pegged to be, too much of the film is wildly out of sync tonally. There's a weird bus chase along a perilous roadway that comes out of nowhere, and a party/drug montage that might have been lifted straight from Pineapple Express, which Green also directed. Speaking of montages, they are too frequently used here as short hand for the desires of the Bolivian people, who don't come across particularly well here. It's like the Americans had to come in to teach them about their own government.

Bullock, Hollywood's go-to gal for a good "white savior" role, acquits herself nicely as the feisty, Sun Tzu-quoting Bodine.  Her role had originally been intended for a male actor, but producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov decided to go in a different direction, apparently so there could be some sexual tension or something. The rest of the cast don't fare as well. Mackie, Dowd, Scoot McNairy, and Zoe Kazan have little to do but play off of Bullock, while Thornton snivels his way through a role clearly based on top Democratic strategist James Carville.

The biggest problem with Our Brand is Crisis is that it's stuck in the limbo between being a serious political drama and a mainstream studio effort. This is best exemplified by the finale; an empty, crowd-pleasing gesture that feels like it was written by focus groups. There's a ton of great talent and a savvier political movie might have made good use of them, but instead the documentary remains the best telling of this particular story.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Sandra Bullock Gets Political In The First Trailer For 'Our Brand Is Crisis'

It's hard to get a firm grasp on the career of David Gordon Green, as he's been all over the map. He started out with small art house films before indulging in R-rated comedies, and it was during that phase in which bigger names started to gravitate in his direction. In fact, that may have been his goal all along, as Green has continued to attract A-list casts even as he's gone back to making dramas again. And for his next film, the political adaptation Our Brand is Crisis, Green has Sandra Bullock as his star.

The first trailer for Our Brand is Crisis has been released, and it's based on the true story of American political strategists' influence on the 2002 Bolivian presidential campaign.  Produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov with Billy Bob Thornton, Zoe Kazan, Ann Dowd, Anthony Mackie, Scoot McNairy and Joaquim de Almeida co-starring, the film is a narrative adaptation of Rachel Boynton's award-winning documentary, but this footage suggests a mix of of political intrigue and satire, which could make for an odd fit this awards season.

Our Brand is Crisis opens October 30th.

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Review: 'Minions', with the Voice Talents of Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm

When Despicable Me made its debut in 2010, no one would have ever thought that the weird, yellow creatures called minions would get so popular that they would go on to score their own movie. And whether or not the minions thought they'd ever star in their own movie, Minions is here and the verdict is that the sidekick characters should have probably remained on the side.

The Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin) have one goal in life: to follow the best villain the world has to offer. That's hard, however, when they keep finding accidental ways to off said villain. And so their search continues throughout history. A T-Rex, a vampire, and a pharaoh later, and the minions find themselves stuck in a home of ice and isolation before Kevin comes up with the brilliant idea (he thinks so) to go looking for a new villain to follow. Reluctantly recruiting Bob and Stuart to help him, the three venture off to find their next boss. 

It's 1968 when they eventually win the right to serve Scarlett Overkill (voice of Sandra Bullock), the baddest villain around, and her husband Herb (voice of Jon Hamm). Their new mission is to help Scarlett steal the crown from Queen Elizabeth (voice of Jennifer Saunders), but things obviously don't turn out like any of them had hoped. 

In all honesty, there isn't a whole lot in terms of story. The narration by Geoffrey Rush is fun in the beginning, serving as our translation of the minions' actions before it tapers off fifteen or so minutes into the movie. The minions bounce around joyously, chatting away in what can only be called part Spanish and part gibberish, but we are never quite drawn into their plight. The laughs are few and far between, and they're chuckles at the physical comedy more than anything else.

Scarlett Overkill is a subpar villain at best and there's nothing that makes her quite as memorable as Gru, or as fun. Her villainous lines are cliche and too over-the-top, as though Bullock is trying too hard to compensate for her mediocre dialogue. Stuart, Bob, and Kevin bring about reminders to Alvin and the Chipmunks, Bob most especially a parallel of Theodore and his innocence. The family who picks them up in the beginning of the film to take them to Orlando's secret Villain International Comic Con (an admittedly clever touch) serves no real purpose except for being people who can cheer the minions on from time to time throughout in random bursts. 

Minions is a film perhaps small children may enjoy, but isn't as an amusing experience for everyone. The entertainment value is disappointing, the film struggles with pacing and story line issues, and doesn't hold a candle to its predecessors. The fact that the movie runs for more than an hour and 30 minutes is a miracle, and the plot's slow climb uphill is evidence of that. One can't help but think that Minions would have been much better off being a short film rather than a full-length animated feature.

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The 'Minions' Stumble Through Time in the Latest Hysterical Trailer

Four years have passed since Despicable Me introduced the world to little yellow minions, and now you can't go anywhere without seeing them SOMEWHERE. They're on TV, they're on toys, they're on random home appliances...the minions are truly a sensation and people simply can't get enough of them. But would a film completely dedicated to them be overkill? Do we really want to know the origin of the bizarre little sidekicks? We're going to find out when Minions opens this summer.

A new trailer for the film has been released and it's basically a goofy trek through time, showing us how the minions came to be sidekicks to the world's top supervillains. Sandra Bullock voices the evil Scarlet Overkill, who hatches a plan that will take minions Bob, Stuart, and Kevin all around the world. 

Also featuring the voices of Michael Keaton, Jon Hamm, Steve Coogan, and Allison Janney, Minions opens July 10th. 

Minions - || Official Trailer #3 || - Universal Pictures - Starring Steve Carrel - Full HD - Entertainment City by ENTERTAINMENT CITY

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