WITH JESSICA CHASTAIN AND GUGU MBATHA-RAW
character, one of the most respected and sought-after lobbyists in Washington. When asked to represent a National Rifle Association-esque company opposing a bill on gun control, she quits, joining a smaller firm that's supporting the backers of the law. There she meets Esme (Mbatha-Raw), a more timid lobbyist who prefers to stay behind the scenes. Though the two develop a friendship, Sloane's drive to out-think her opponents and win by any means necessary sets the two at odds.
Ahead of the film's release, Chastain and Mbatha-Raw spoke with The Times about strong female roles, the gun control debate and how this movie might be received in the wake of Donald Trump's election as president.
Q: What were your initial impressions when you read Jonathan Perera's script?
Chastain: I was excited by the role because I was really interested in the gun debate and why we have so much gun violence in the United States. I was very interested in how our political system works and why it feels like there's a lot of money, but nothing's getting done. Most of all, though, I was really excited by the character because she really confronts all gender stereotypes we have. She's a fantastic role … it's complicated, because she's a flawed character. But we can still root for her because she's human, and it's OK to see female characters be human.
Mbatha-Raw: I was so bowled over by not just the complexity of the (gun debate) issue but how dynamically it was presented. I've been exasperated by seeing a lot of the shootings on the news and I just thought, if I'm able to be a part of something that contributes to the conversation, that'd really be interesting. I also loved the fact that it was from a female perspective.
Q: What type of research did you do to tap into your characters but also to this gun lobby conversation?
Chastain: Less than 10 percent of lobbyists in D.C. are women — politics in D.C. can be very much a boys club. So for me it was important to meet with female lobbyists because I wanted to know what they go through day-to-day in that town and in that political system to get where they are.