Miss Sloane
Director: John Madden
Talent: Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alison Pill
Released: 12th May
Jessica Chastain plays a ruthless Washington lobbyist, the titular Miss Sloane, in this deftly executed political thriller from director John Madden. The action is set in court and conference rooms, with characters talking in Sorkin-esque parables. Not least of all Sloane herself who quotes Bible verse and other assorted idioms to make her point.
Chastain’s Sloane is steely and smart. She knows what’s going on long before anyone else in the room. She’ll win whatever the cost, and it takes its toll on her. Chastain shows us the highs and the lows of this character. Strength and vulnerability are often present in the same gesture. Chastain’s performance steals the show alongside a cast of big talents. Madden’s direction features a lot of documentary style close-ups, it feels probing and a little voyeuristic. We sometimes see too much of this woman and her life, it’s often frightening, sometimes desperate but always enthralling.
Words – Luke Maxwell
