Oxford Dictionaries just declared "post-truth" as its 2016 international word of the year. The heart of the definition is how public opinion is shaped less by objective facts and more by emotional appeals.
Which brings me to the movie, Miss Sloane, directed by John Madden and starring Jessica Chastain. Billed as a political thriller, I prefer to call it a drama filled with plenty of edgy twists and turns, and, yes politics are involved. On its surface, the game is about the gun lobby and its opposition. The real story is about Power--its pursuit, the avid hunger for it, and who can play the game best. The movie is also a character study.
Enter Elizabeth Sloane, the Machiavellian heroine/villain of the movie. She's a successful special-interest lobbyist on Capitol Hill, who is driven to win and appears to give little thought to the various causes she represents, or to the people she uses to achieve her goals. She manipulates not only the truth, but the emotions of the people involved.
People in business cultivate a placid demeanor that reveals nothing of what they might be plotting, I mean, thinking. Women generally have to work harder at this since we're encouraged from childhood to be open, amenable, and cooperative. Miss Sloane didn't get that memo. Jessica Chastain not only plays a brilliant, unscrupulous character, but she manages to conceal all emotion while she's scheming. Her private time is another matter.
I like my heroes and heroines to be a mixed bag of angel and devil: Miss Sloane epitomizes this, but it takes a while for the cracks to show. She's an insomniac who pops prescription uppers to keep going. So she's got a bit of ADHD. Who doesn't?
She hires a male escort to meet her in bed, sex and no emotional exchanges, please. This humanized her for me. Don't count on erotic scenes here, Miss Sloane is on a schedule and while she's squeezed this interlude into her calendar, her orgasm only requires his cooperation.
She's successful, but what will her next challenge be? For some inconceivable reason, she resigns from the most powerful lobbying organization in Washington. Her employer accepts the gun lobby's appeal to get the female vote against a bill requiring background checks for firearm purchases. She leaves to go work for the other side fighting to pass the bill, taking her crew with her, all except for Jane Molloy (Allison Pill). She remains behind and asks for a raise.
Is there some personal history that would explain Miss Sloane's decision? The story turns on our lack of backstory. No flashbacks, folks. No gun violence revealed in her childhood. But that doesn't mean her crew might not have experienced such barbarity. Miss Sloane is not only willing to use such a personal history but she's ready. She leaves no stone unturned, no file unread, no internet device unhacked. The most remarkable aspect of the film is how viewers don't question this pristine--no doubt Ivy League educated--female's access to back alley nerds, the techno-henchman of the 21st century. The back alley scenes are dark, wet and dirty. No secret knocks, but Chastain does look over her shoulder before entering.
She appears to be winning public opinion in the gun control battle and her former firm calls for an "inquisition" into her tactics. Miss Sloane anticipated this. The pressure mounts. A few more cracks appear in her façade: she throws some stuff around in the privacy of her office. Still, Chastain makes it a momentous desk-clearing. A few exhausted tears, and more pills slide down her throat while she plans her next move. Make sure you surprise them is her motto.
Miss Sloane is in control of her future. She's all about choices. Prepare for the post-truth ride. You'll be surprised.
Opens: Nov. 25 (EuropaCorp. USA)
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alisson Pill, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jake Lacy, Sam Waterston, John Lithgow, David Wilson Barnes, Dylan Baker, Raoul Bhaneja, Chuck Shamata, Christine Baranski
Director: John MaddenScreenwriter: Jonathan Perera
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.