MISS SLOANE
US, 2016, 132 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha Raw, John Lithgow, Sam Waterston, Alison Pill, Jack Lacey, Chuck Shamata, Douglas Smith, Dylan Baker.
Directed by John Madden
There’s something to be said about a serious film that presents machinations, manipulation, Machiavellian strategies and tactics. Which means that there is a lot to say about Miss Sloane, an intriguing (in all meanings of the word) of such machinations and manipulations in the screenplay that is able to draw on all kinds of tactics and strategies and bring them to a striking conclusion.
The location for this story is Washington DC and Capitol Hill. It is a world of lobbyists – not the most attractive of worlds to live in but fascinating to watch. At the core of the film is a bill to restrict the presence of guns and for background investigations for owning guns. It has been pointed out that this film did not do well at the US box office and that the gun lobby actually agitated against the film, posting negative comments, running the film down – an example of the effects of lobbying in itself.
The Miss Sloane of the title is a lobbyist played by Jessica Chastain, a very astute actress in recent years succeeding in a variety of roles. Elizabeth Sloane is a woman in her 30s who has no other life than her lobbying, no family, no indication of background, suffering from insomnia but eager to spend all her waking hours lobbying, competitive, desperate to win. The only outlets are the taking of pills and her connection with a Washington escort, for momentary sexual release.
The framework of the film is a Senate hearing, presided over by Senator Sperling (John Lithgow) examining difficult issues in Sloane’s career, particularly in providing finance for senators to go on education trip to Indonesia repercussions and importation of palm oil. But, on the whole, this is a red herring, though some documentation is key to findings of the hearing.
What it is all about is the fact that the gun lobby had tried to headhunt Miss Sloane to enable them to get a majority to defeat the intended bill, arguing that the potential for the campaign is to focus on women, not just in terms of gun violence but as people need to take up arms to defend themselves. This is not Miss Sloane’s perspective, she rejects for her, and takes her staff with her when she goes to work for a company lobbying to find senators to pass the bill.
One of Miss Sloane’s principles is that when the enemy has played their trump card, then you produce your trump card. The latter part of the film is quite dramatically exhilarating showing the effectiveness of this tactic, the audience and Miss Sloane’s associates not anticipating it at all.
Miss Sloane does not want a sympathetic response though she does acknowledge the reality of emotions and sympathy but they are not part of make up or tactics. Her boss is played by Mark Strong, an honest man who has principles. One of the staff is a young woman was terrorised in a gun episode in an Indiana School, hiding from a shooter. She is played by Gugu Mbatha Raw (Belle, Concussion, The Whole Truth).
The company that the gun lobby uses is headed by a seemingly venerable elder statesman, yet sinister, Sam Waterston, and the head executive, Michael Stuhlbarg is a ruthless lobbyist. One of the key sequences to illustrate the no holds barred lobbying takes place on a television interview, each talking over the other, and Miss Sloane then pulling a trump card that turns the spotlight relentlessly on someone’s privacy.
The dialogue in this kind of film is very important, the conversations, the plotting, the tactics, the working rooms at society gatherings, the pressure by powers that be – one Senator being told that if he does not comply with orders his career would be annihilated with an explanation of the origins of annihilated.
While this is an American story, one of the things that nags under the enjoyment of seeing such goings-on is: what is it like in the pressures and lobbies of local government, as bad as that in the United States, the same or worse? It would be very interesting in to see a local version of Miss Sloane.
1. The title? The focus on Miss Sloane? The formal title? Expectations?
2. Washington DC, the settings, Capital Hill, the lobbyist world, the Senate? The political world, the social world? Travel around the US? Immersing the audience in the lobbyist world?
3. The framework of the hearing, the presiding senator, accusations against Miss Sloane? Her lawyer and his assistance? Listening to her? Her taking the Fifth Amendment and keeping silent? Senator Sperling, management of the case, the other senators, the crowd? The issue of Indonesia, palm oil, payment of study trips? Miss Sloane silent, then her reply, the possibility of perjury? The issues of surveillance and her use and illegal use of surveillance? The document, her condemnation? Her final speech and revelation?
4. Her philosophy, the playing of trump cards, and then playing her trump card, as illustrated throughout the film – and in the finale in the hearing?
5. The three months flashbacks, the introduction to Elizabeth Sloane, her age, life, no private life, no background? As a lobbyist, competitive, wanting to win, enjoying playing the game? No family, no personal life, the relationship with the escort, paid sex? Anonymity and payment?
6. Miss Sloane and her company, George Dupont and his introduction to Bob Sanford, the discussions, lobbying for women and the vote, the gun lobby, women as needing to be aggressive and therefore to have guns? The pressure on Miss Sloane? Her resistance, the harshness of her rejection?
7. Rodolfo Schmidt, his encounters with Miss Sloane, his own lobby, the discussions, her agreement to work with him? Her staff at her original company, their loyalties, their walking out with her, five leaving, Jane and the discussions about academic life, her staying with Dupont? The scenes with her, Miss Sloane’s phone call, the finale at the hearing, Jane offering her resignation and walking out? Her having supplied all the information?
8. The case, the importance of the Bill? The issue of numbers? The cause, the projections, the charts, young enthusiastic workers, investigating the senators, the research, the pressures?
9. Pat Connors, his work for Dupont? His commitment to his cause? His character, planning, lobbying, antagonism towards Elizabeth?
10. Rodolfo Schmidt and his character, his work, interactions with Miss Sloane, her surprising him, his following her, the discovery of the surveillance? His own integrity? Clashes with Miss Sloane? His being interrogated at the hearing about the surveillance?
11. Esme, her background, her character, the gun experience in the high school? The meal with Miss Sloane? Telling her story, work, loyalty, commitment to the cause?
12. The buildup to the television interview, the host, his handling of the couple, Connors and his barging in, Miss Sloane and her responses? The dramatic introduction of Esme, the camera on her, the aftermath? Esme and the experience of the threat from the gunman, the citizen and his shooting the aggressor, becoming a hero? The issue for the gun lobby? Television treatment of the gun hero? Miss Sloane, going to the airport to meet Esme, Esme leaving, her continuing to work for the cause but at a distance from Miss Sloane, her presence at the hearing?
13. The issue of Badgley, Connors and the game of pool, the threat to his son’s candidature, the threats about the money? The television interview, the planted questions, the actor, pressurising the candidate, support? The dinner, Miss Sloane and her circulating and her own surveillance?
14. Going to the surveillance company, the men, the possibilities? Her seeming to move away? The irony of their final use?
15. The hearing, her behaviour, Forde, the escort, and his presence, her surprise at his not exposing her?
16. George Dupont, the threats to Senator Sperling, pressurising him for the hearing? Audience surprise at his being blackmailed? And his succumbing – after the explanation of annihilation?
17. The document, Miss Sloane signature? Her being condemned?
18. Her final speech, the surveillance material, the exposure of the senator, his hastening away, fear, Dupont, Sanford?
19. Miss Sloane going to prison, the visit from Daniel, her composed remarks – and her finally being released? To what?
