Miss Sloane (2016) Review!!

Synopsis – In the high-stakes world of political power-brokers, Elizabeth Sloane is the most sought after and formidable lobbyist in D.C. But when taking on the most powerful opponent of her career, she finds winning may come at too high a price.

My Take – Considering the recent Presidential election and the ongoing issues of gun violence and gun control in America, this film couldn’t come at a more perfect time. Even though we live in a world of political happenings and hot button issues like gun control for one, what we don’t see that happens and is done behind the scenes with the under the table deals and moves that the lobbyist and power players make to get bills and laws passed. With this film, director John Madden engages its audience by way of setting up the film as both a thriller and a political analysis of what people will do to succeed. Putting politics aside, I had a thought half way through the film, that this exactly the kind of solid mid-budget adult drama that just doesn’t exist anymore. This film will deftly take you on a ride through the political maneuverings of lobbyists and their influence on the creation and failings of lawmaking in the American capital. In this case, gun control. If you like political thrillers, this will definitely push your buttons emotionally, no matter what side you are on. This film will deftly take you on a ride through the political maneuverings of lobbyists and their influence on the creation and failings of lawmaking in America. In this case, gun control. The script is a showcase for its lead actor, in this case Jessica Chastain, who takes the character and runs with it for all its worth. The film may falter, the script may offer one too many twists and turns, but there is Chastain in the middle of it all, as our titular pill-popping work obsessed anti-heroine, willing to push herself and others to the brink in the pursuit of her goals. If you like political thrillers, this will definitely push your buttons emotionally, no matter what side you are on. The film raised a lot of questions about power, greed, corruption, the weakness of some of the American laws, means vs. ends, and the motivations of some of the country’s movers and shakers and elected representatives along with males vs. females in high power jobs. However, a problem or a complex situation can be clarified by examining it through the impartial eyes of people unaffected by the issue. And that’s both the primary strength and the major weakness of this EuropaCorp produced film.

The film takes a quintessential and controversial American issue—gun control—and places it squarely into the hands of European filmmakers. And although the film’s producers insist the picture is not intended as a tirade or a criticism of United States laws governing access to firearms, it is ultimately impossible to see the picture from any other perspective. The result, the film is an easy target for unmerited scrutiny by people who’ve never even seen it or have pre-conceived notions about the subject matter – it’s clear from some of the user comments and internet chatter that there’s just a lot of fanatical, closed-minded, easily-threatened people who hear the film deals with gun control and they jump to the conclusion that it’s liberal propaganda. Well, it does take a position – but a rational and cogent one, that it! Set in the world of Washington insiders and political power brokers, the story follows Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), one of the most successful lobbyists in Washington D.C. – and one of the most controversial. She has a reputation for having an icy personality and a steely resolve, for doing anything and everything necessary to serve her client – and for winning. She has virtually no personal life, except for her visits to a local gigolo, Forde (Jake Lacy), she has insomnia (for which she takes pills and then other pills to stay awake so she’s always working) and she’s a “conviction lobbyist”. She only works for a cause for which she has strong personal convictions. When George DuPont (Sam Waterston), partner at the law firm where Miss Sloane works, assigns her the job of working with the gun lobby to help defeat a bill requiring more stringent background checks for gun buyers, she laughs in his face, then quits and takes most of her team with her. Only her young mentee, Jane Molloy (Alison Pill), and Pat Connors (Michael Stuhlbarg), her liaison with the firm, stay behind. Of course, she’s leaving the firm with a purpose. She has been hired by Rodolfo Schmidt (Mark Strong), the President of Peterson Wyatt, the nonprofit organization which opposes the gun lobby and is working for passage of that bill, the so-called Heaton-Harris amendment. Sloane gets right to work. She’s a force of nature in the Peterson Wyatt conference room, immediately integrating her team with theirs, explaining her strategy and insisting that the campaign in support of Heaton-Harris can win. She gives everyone their marching orders, gets almost everyone on board, and either gets rid of or ignores those who stand in her way. Miss Sloane befriends a young Peterson Wyatt employee named Esme Manucharian (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), while energetically and unapologetically playing her role in the plan – employing a combination of savvy, creative, unethical and even illegal methods – and never with the prior approval of the increasingly dissatisfied Mr. Schmidt. It’s her daring approach and lack of a moral compass that eventually gets her in big trouble with her employer, her team, and Congress. A committee, led by U.S. Senator Ron Sperling (John Lithgow), investigates her and calls her to testify. This film is about dirty tricks from lobbyists to senators and a whole bunch of questionable actions in between.

Director John Madden and first-time writer Jonathan Perera entertainingly guide us through a labyrinth of lies to give a feel for the complicated world of lobbying. While the film has a generous dose of thriller tropes, the story seems fresh and informative about the lobbying industry. In fact, the arguments pro and con about the second amendment are as good sometimes as an Ivy League debate. And besides that intellectual feast is the very contemporary issue of trust in the government. The film goes on to explore the arguments and the ongoing debates between the issues of gun control. At first, it all about the strategies, later it takes on the personal relationships of the people involved in the two teams competing against each other. As one of the characters tells another, it’s a matter of annihilation, or is it anticipation. The film plays like a chess game, and it’s a thrilling experience to see how the pieces are moved. There are some unexpected twists, and sometimes they’re shockers. Madden keeps a tight lid on much of Sloane’s secrets from the audience, which I think is a brilliant move, because throughout the film, it keeps driving us into one direction where it seems that Sloane could win but something happens and all of a sudden her chances become slim to none. Just like the character herself, the film aims to surprise you at every turn, you get to see how both sides of the aisle try their best to outplay and outwit and out-expose one another even if it means using your own colleagues as a means to an end. It’s a ruthless game not for the faint of heart or for the compassionate, it’s a question of whether or not compromising and manipulation can be justified in the name of idealism. If there is one glaring problem in this film it’s the third act; which builds itself up as a big juicy twist but ultimately feels like a cheat. The tension of the film’s non-linear story structure in conjunction with the film’s very first lines “Lobbying is about foresight” definitely builds it up nicely, but once we finally get there it feels like the taut cord of suspension of disbelief has been completely severed. Perhaps if the film was adapted into a TV show, the absurd ending could have been forgiven. Jessica Chastain could be up for another Oscar nomination for her performance of the ruthless, insomniac, fierce, lonely, brilliant political strategist. She commands the screen with her looks, her delivery of a dialogue that is rarely seen in films anymore. It’s direct, incisive, and intelligent and doesn’t make you feel like a dumb audience member. Instead, it triggers our desire to learn more about the subject matter, and how the entire U.S. system works. Chastain owns the film and the role, and there is strong supporting work from Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, John Lithgow, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jake Lacy, Alison Pill, Dylan Baker, and David Wilson Barnes. It’s an impressive group that adds substance to the project. On the whole, ‘Miss Sloane’ is a solid & riveting little political thriller that is worth the price of admission mainly for Jessica Chastain‘s showcase performance.