Miss Sloane
Starring Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong
Directed by John Madden
A headstrong, sought-after Washington lobbyist takes on the toughest opponent of her career – the gun lobby – in John Madden’s sometimes pedantic but ultimately watchable drama, Miss Sloane.
In a plot that could have been ripped right from the headlines – given America’s political divisiveness and controversial firearm laws – powerbroker Elizabeth Sloane (Chastain) is asked to help oppose a bill that imposes regulations on firearms. Faced with a moral conundrum, she instead joins a small firm (led by Mark Strong) that represents the backers of the law. Her sudden defiance unleashes some powerful new enemies who threaten her livelihood, including a former boss (Sam Waterston) and a shady Congressman (John Lithgow).
Chastain brings a percolating ferocity to her role, elevating the often industry-jargon-laden script. Beneath the polished veneer of her character lies a cracked interior reliant upon frequent use of prescription drugs and occasional intimate encounters with a male escort (Jake Lacy).
Miss Sloane boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Stuhlbarg and Alison Pill, each of whom get their fair share of fiery arguments and clip-worthy one-liners that look great in the trailers. Yet there’s something hollow about the movie that makes it feel like an extended episode of a TV legal drama.
Despite some missteps in the dialogue department and the inevitable Hollywood gloss, Miss Sloane features one hell of a lead performance, and is a fascinating glimpse at the clandestine world of political lobbying.
