Jessica Chastain plays a shrewd DC lobbyist who takes on a major bill in a series of career changing moves. Her performance dominates almost every frame and it’s often commanding. She also gets a bit too steely at times. If Aaron Sorkin had been the screenwriter (instead of first timer Jonathan Perera) his crisp way with words would have made the intricacies of the interactions and the continuous twists more compelling. The brusque style with which every dilemma is dispatched reminded me “House of Cards,” which I didn’t love. As it stands, it’s a slick looking (slightly too long) drama with a usually-compelling story and a harsh, but forceful performance by Chastain.

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