Movie Review – Miss Sloane

Coming off of a heavily debated and heated presidential race just a few weeks ago, EuropaCorp’s long term plan to release a political drama at this time could prove to be very fortuitous. Most elections fizzle out within a matter of days, but the 2016 Presidential Election was something else entirely. Social media sites, various forums, news outlets; they’ve all been ablaze with talks of politics in one form or another. Now the talk will reach theaters but thankfully for entertainment purposes only. Get ready America to get down and dirty with Miss Sloane.

Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) is as ruthless as they come. In the field of politics this also means there’s a very good chance that she’s successful. Her desire to come out on top outweighs just about everything else. As a lobbyist reading people and reacting before her opponents even contemplate making a move is what sets her apart from her peers. At the end of the day she’s a chessmaster in a world full of recreational checkers players. All is great until she decides to leave her current employer for a much smaller fish in the political pond. When Elizabeth pulls her own Jerry Maguire-esque “who’s coming with me?” stunt, there’s absolutely no turning back.

Elizabeth goes to work for Rodolfo Schmidt (Mark Strong) and ends up going head-to-head with her former employer in a race for votes in the all important gun control arena. There might not be a bigger hot button topic on The Hill than guns. The Second Amendment is front and center here. Miss Sloane goes deep, dark and dirty in dealing with all of the unpleasantries that come with doing business in D.C. At the end of the day, the person (or people) willing to go the furthest will be the last one standing. The question becomes, is winning really worth the cost of playing?

With Jessica Chastain (Jurassic World (2015)) playing the title role in Miss Sloane it’s very easy to see why director John Madden was happy to work with her again. The two actually first worked together in The Debt (2010) and she has come a long way since then. Just watching her in Zero Dark Thirty (2012) will tell you all that you need to know. She can be as tough as nails in one scene and completely vulnerable in the next. This range is hard to come by and she seems to be a natural at it. Having talent like this at Madden’s disposal definitely makes his job easier. Having a great story and an awesome diverse cast is a real recipe for success.

Michael Stuhlbarg is having quite the year…wait scratch that, he’s having an epic MONTH having already appeared in Marvel’s Doctor Strange and Arrival earlier in November. His agent deserves a raise! Alison Pill (Hail, Caesar!), Sam Waterston (NBC’s Law & Order), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Concussion (2015)) and John Lithgow (The Accountant (2016)) are some of the other actors that bring this brilliant work together. Intensity and focus can be expected across the board.

As for the story itself, Miss Sloane will convert even the least political viewers into people that enjoy the overall message. The plot is gripping and is lining up to be one of the strongest thrillers of the year. With both sides being presented so effectively it’s hard to tell where the outcome will take you. And that feeling is what adds to the dramatic draw that most should feel. Even the courtroom scenes build tension. There aren’t many breaks taken so even though the runtime sits at 132 minutes, it’s time well spent. And like any good thriller, there’s reason to pay close attention from beginning to end.

Director John Madden took Miss Sloane and seemingly gave it everything he had. The film is beautifully shot, brilliantly acted and the dialogue will have you hanging on every last word. Jessica Chastain upped her game to an entirely new level that SHOULD at least put her in discussions for best actress in a drama. Passing this one up would be considered a miscarriage of justice so check this one out right now.