Miss Sloane Preview

Miss Sloane is a political thriller about Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), a political strategist who is recruited  to tackle the issue of gun control in America.  She is notoriously ruthless, highly successful and will do whatever it takes to win for her side of the campaign, possibly risking her career and those closest to her with a win-at-all-costs mentality.  A new proposed legislation requiring stricter background checks for gun ownership in the United States is gaining traction in Congress and Sloane is tasked with spearheading the campaign against her toughest opponent.

After the recent Presidential election and the ongoing issues of gun violence and gun control in America, this movie couldn't come at a more perfect time.  Lobbying is about anticipating your opponents' moves and launching countermeasures before they can act.  It's about surprising them and making sure they don't surprise you.  The preview for Miss Sloane shows political strategist Sloane giving us this insight into what it takes to win in politics.  While nothing is more important that winning, Sloane gets caught up in the cause of gun control and states that this issue is more important than her career, after being warned about the consequences of her actions.  John Madden directs Miss Sloane and he is a seasoned professional having tackled such films as Shakespeare in Love (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Directing), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Mrs. Brown.  He has directed 3 Academy nominated actresses in his career.  However, this is writer Jonathan Perera's first writing credit in his career.

Chastain is joined by a couple heavy-hitters in John Lithgow and Sam Waterston in what looks to be an upsetting, emotionally-charged, fierce look into the working of our political system and what it takes to make or kill legislation in the United States.  While not boasting any action, this 132 minute drama does have the potential to drag at times.  Though she has been performing for over 12 years, Chastain really rose to fame with her Oscar-nominated role in Zero Dark Thirty, the search and capture of terrorist Osama Bin Laden.  She followed that up with roles in Interstellar and The Martian that leaves no doubt she will come through once again with a brilliant performance.  So, though this film is the end result of a rookie writing project, the experience of the director and actors who are on board to execute it make it work an anticipatory 3.5 star prediction.  Miss Sloane looks like it will be worth the money in the theatres, a movie I'd watch again, and give consideration to adding it to my personal collection.  So, am I right?  We shall see.