All the more so, since her new stance entails abandoning her cushy position with a topflight firm -- led by white-shoe WASP George Dupont (Sam Waterston) -- and signing on with a fledgling outfit headed by do-gooder Rodolfo Schmidt (Mark Strong) for what Sloane realizes will be an uphill battle against the National Rifle Association and its allies.
Potential casualties in the high-stakes conflict that follows initially include Esme Manucharian (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), one of the staff members who switched companies with Sloane, and who -- as Sloane knows -- harbors a long-hidden secret. But eventually, with no holds barred in the escalating struggle, Sloane's own future hangs in the balance as well.
Despite its obvious -- and, for Hollywood, predictable -- partisan bias, and its preference for dramatic effect over ethical seriousness, as penned by Jonathan Perera, "Miss Sloane" is fundamentally moral. Yet the movie's exploration of its protagonist's unhealthy personal life, in which she uses strapping prostitute Robert Forde (Jake Lacy) as a partner for emotionally empty, commitment-free sex, will be off-putting even for some mature viewers.
Sloane's interaction with Forde is of a piece with her daytime transgressions. Everything is to be sacrificed to the advancement of her career: marriage, family life, the well-being of colleagues and, of course, nearly all standards of right and wrong. None of this is endorsed by the narrative -- quite the opposite -- though Sloane's adversaries are portrayed as being even more unprincipled than she is.
Given that this is a thriller, the emphasis is on the twists and turns of the clash rather than on what it all means, either for those engaged in it or for the audience. So moviegoers should be on the lookout for upended expectations rather than deep insights.
The film contains semi-graphic nonmarital sexual activity, a prostitution theme, several uses of profanity, a tasteless religious joke and frequent rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- - -
Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.
- - -
CAPSULE REVIEW
"Miss Sloane" (Europacorp)
A striking performance from Jessica Chastain as the ruthless Washington lobbyist of the title propels director John Madden's forceful study of political corruption. The win-at-all-costs wheeler-dealer shocks her colleagues when, driven by personal conviction, she abruptly changes sides in the fight over a pending gun control bill, abandoning her cushy position with a topflight firm (led by Sam Waterston) and signing on with a fledgling outfit (headed by Mark Strong) for what she realizes will be an uphill battle against the National Rifle Association and its allies. Potential casualties in the high-stakes conflict include one of the staff members (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who switched companies with her, and who harbors a long-hidden secret. Despite its obvious -- and, for Hollywood, predictable -- partisan bias, and its preference for dramatic effect over ethical seriousness, as penned by Jonathan Perera, the film is fundamentally moral. Yet its exploration of the protagonist's unhealthy personal life, in which she uses a male prostitute (Jake Lacy) as a partner for emotionally empty, commitment-free sex, will be off-putting even for some mature viewers. Semi-graphic nonmarital sexual activity, a prostitution theme, several uses of profanity, a tasteless religious joke, frequent rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- - -
CLASSIFICATION
"Miss Sloane" (Europacorp) -- Catholic News Service classification, A-III -- adults. Motion Picture Association of America rating, R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.