The Junk Drawer

It may come as little surprise that American political advisers regularly extend their services to foreign presidential candidates, but Rachel Boynton’s “Our Brand Is Crisis,” which chronicles the entire election-strategizing process in scrupulous detail, will pack a punch with even the most informed viewer.

Here, associates of James Carville’s consultancy firm GCS, including the pollster Jeremy Rosner, the advertising consultant Tad Devine and Mr. Carville himself (in typical hyper-to-the-point-of-lunacy form), set their sights on winning Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada a second presidency during Bolivia’s 2002 elections. (He previously served from 1993 to 1997.)

At first, the goal seems unattainable, especially considering he wasn’t all that popular the first time around, not to mention that Bolivia was on the brink of a violent political uprising. Undaunted, the GCS consultants work their magic as if it were a game, shrewdly devising ways to sell a new and improved Mr. Sánchez de Lozada to the public. Endorsements and smear campaigns are conceived for television, general brainstorming sessions and focus groups are held, and the impact each has is thoroughly analyzed. The unrestricted access we are given to these discussions that would normally take place behind closed doors is astounding, even if the “victory” ultimately gained for Mr. Sánchez de Lozada is truly unsettling. Perhaps the only thing left to be desired from this momentous documentary is a reference to the size of the consultants’ paycheck — or their consciences.

Our Brand Is Crisis

Opens today in Manhattan.

Produced and directed by Rachel Boynton; in English and Spanish, with English subtitles; directors of photography, Tom Hurwitz, Michael Anderson, Christine Burrill and Jerry Risius; edited by Ms. Boynton and Jennifer L. Robinson; music by Marcelo Zarvos; released by Koch Lorber. At the Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street, west of Avenue of the Americas, South Village. Running time: 87 minutes. This film is not rated.