Welcome to Clooney/Heslov’s Bolivian campaign, The Ides of March-ing Powder if you will.

As a good humoured drama, with the laughs peaking at a choice use of Sandra’s buttocks, this is light yet entertaining.

That Jane’s late-blooming conscience is authentically echoed in the film’s tone and frame would be laudable if only Our Brand Is Crisis hadn’t featured an actual crisis affecting actual people.

All criticism of the new political norm is reserved for Billy Bob Thornton’s despicable opposing force, with little concern that the mechanised infantry of politics has caused too much harm for much too long.

That such a potentially influential cast and crew couldn’t produce a harder-hitting challenge to the spin-cycle of politics out of this Black List script leaves a bitter aftertaste.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Scoot McNairy, Zoe Kazan

DIRECTOR: David Gordon Green

WRITERS: Rachel Boynton, Peter Straughan

SYNOPSIS: Jane (Bullock), a battle-hardened American political consultant, is sent to help re-elect a controversial president in Bolivia, where she must compete with a long-term rival working for another candidate.