Review of Miss Sloane (2016) by Dawdlingpoet — 24 Nov 2021

I enjoyed this film in terms of seeing a determined lady do her best to 'take on the system' - yes its corny but I do like a decent film about an ambitious woman and I think its fair to say that in the political hub that is Washington DC, women aren't necessarily especially appreciated, or noticed, in terms of their political opinions, at least I assume not. This is definitely an example of a film whereby the lead female character is not afraid to punch seemingly above her weight and I appreciated that.

The story itself may be regarded as a little bland but I felt Jessica Chastain did well in playing someone not prepared to not be heard, who pushes to have herself heard and respected - of taking on the system, much like Marcia Clark in the first series of An American Crime Story. I also liked John Lithgows performane as Senator Ronald Sperling, who critiques Madeline Sloanes arguments.

I suppose you could argue that this is a typical American underdog type story - not just is it about a female taking on the huge gun industry, taking on a system that has so much financial backing that you can't fail to fear her chances of winning must be very slim but also of course there's the general moral issue of the industry itself, with gun control having been especially scrutinised, or, should I say the very lack of it present in the US these days. The themes are certainly important and respectable but I think there is an element of burnout in people at the moment, as far as watching political issues on TV and in the media is concerned. In any case, while it is perhaps a little bland and perhaps somewhat predictable, overall I'd say its a quite decent film with good performances and as such its worth a watch.

Would I recommend it? if the story or/and cast appeal to you then I'd say yes, I recommend it, as its an at times emotional and certainly thought provoking watch, although some may feel it to be a bit PC, so it won't necessarily appeal to all.