Miss Sloane

While it aspires to become both a probing character study and an incendiary social-issue thriller, Miss Sloane compromises both of those qualities in an effort to balance sympathy and cynicism.

This well-researched glimpse into the life of an influential Washington lobbyist benefits from a ferocious performance by Jessica Chastain that belongs in a better movie, or perhaps a small-screen series.

Chastain plays Elizabeth Sloane, who has gained a reputation as Washington’s top lobbyist for her ruthless win-at-all-costs approach that earns results if not many friends. She’s fearless when it comes to taking on power brokers in high-stakes cases without being swayed by principles.

Her latest crusase puts her front and center in the battle over gun control legislation. She leaves a firm with a pro-gun stance for one on the opposite side — a small law outfit run by Schmidt (Mark Strong) with a lower profile and a much smaller budget.

So her fight for congressional votes over a bill to impose regulations for firearm purchases becomes as much about ego as the issues, especially when debating a former colleague (Michael Stuhlbarg) who views her as a traitor. But secrets about her past threaten Elizabeth’s efforts and put her in the middle of an ethics investigation.

Elizabeth is strong-willed, arrogant, and condescending. But along with that cold and calculating exterior, she’s also extremely persuasive, with a fiery stare underneath her bright red hair masking plenty of insecurities and anxieties.

The film downplays gender politics and the glass ceiling for the most part, but there are other issues on the mind of director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) and rookie screenwriter Jonathan Perera, as it pertains to government corruption and cutthroat political culture.

Framed as an underdog story, the mechanical script tends to oversimplify the unscrupulous cycle of greed and moral bankruptcy that pervades the relationship between lobbyists and those on Capitol Hill. That’s hardly surprising, and neither is a revelation about congressional favoritism shown to big-business interests over constituent wishes.

The hot-button issues at the film’s center — certain to yield some preconceived notions from Second Amendment folks — lend some topicality to Miss Sloane, especially on the heels of a contentious election cycle. Indeed, the film aims to rile up moviegoers as much as entertain them, although by the end, it might not elicit more than a shrug.

Rated R, 132 minutes.