Miss Sloane (2016)

“Miss Sloane” stars Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alison Pill, Jake Lacy, Sam Waterston, and John Lithgow.  Released on November 25, 2016, followed by a wide release on December 9, 2016, the film is about a lobbyist who takes on the Gun Lobby.

The film is directed by John Madden, who also directed films such as Golden Gate, Shakespeare in Love, The Debt, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  If you guys want to know how I did with my Critics Choice Award predictions on Sunday, let’s just say that I got robbed big time.  So, as usual, I watched a couple of films this week in order to cheer myself up, including this one.  In case you haven’t noticed, the Golden Globe nominations were announced on Monday, and “Miss Sloane” managed to receive just one nomination, and it was for Jessica Chastain’s performance as the title character.  That’s pretty much one of the only reasons why I went to check this film out.  The other reason was the rest of the cast.  The film’s distributer, EuropaCorp, hasn’t been making a lot of bank at the box office with their last few films, so maybe their latest film might turn things around...

Pros:
Jessica Chastain shines with ease as the title character.

John Madden’s direction was solid.

Cons:
The second act was dull.

The story offered an interesting concept about the gun control debate, but its execution on-screen was so-so.

Could’ve been shorter.

There were a couple of thrilling moments, but didn’t leave that much impact.

Final thoughts: “Miss Sloane” is a dialogue-driven political film that makes itself feel important, but the journey towards that importance can be a challenge to sit through.  To me, Jessica Chastain’s remarkable portrayal as a lobbyist with an obsession of winning is one of the redeeming qualities of this mediocre thriller.  I can see this film being suitable for those who are majoring into politics in terms of Madden’s direction and Jonathan Perera’s screenplay, but it doesn’t do much for those who aren’t due to its slow pacing and some dialogue-heavy scenes.  It’s not something that I would watch again, but I am glad that Chastain’s performance was recognized by the Golden Globes.

C-