‘Miss Sloane’ after-party hits great heights
“With a million neon rainbows burning below me
And a million blazing taxis raising a roar/Here I sit, above the town, in my pet pailletted gown
Down in the depths on the ninetieth floor.
“While the crowds at El Morocco punish the parquet, and at ‘21’ the couples clamor for more/I’m deserted and depressed, in my regal eagle nest/ Down in the depths on the ninetieth floor.”
On Saturday night I couldn’t help but be reminded of Cole Porter’s lyrics — and Ethel Merman’s immortal interpretation — of Porter’s ode to luxurious ennui. I pondered Cole and Merman while a million neon rainbows blazed below me, on the 86th floor of 432 Park Avenue. This was the site of The Cinema Society’s “Miss Sloane” afterparty.
If you have a neat $20 or $30 or $40 million to spare, 432 Park Avenue, the third tallest building in Manhattan, is perfect for those who desire a regal eagle’s nest. The view from the 86th floor was incredible.
And although the star of “Miss Sloane,” Jessica Chastain, was in attendance, and supposed to be the center of interest, I fear many guests wandered through the (as yet) uninhabited apartment, taking photos from the huge windows. Each room, including one for the kiddies, had a view to die for. (I don’t know that I’d raise children so high up. Kids shouldn’t look down on the world; they need to be face to face with reality.)
Piaget joined with The Cinema Society for this event. It was unusual, amusing and a bit disconcerting. The place was fully furnished, and at any moment, while I lounged, chatting, in various boudoirs and libraries, I expected somebody to burst in and demand, “Will you kindly get off my bed?!” Everyone rather got into the vibe. When I greeted Cinema Society’s Andrew Saffir at the door, he said, deadpan: “You’ve never been to our place, have you?” He waited until I went pale before, he laughed, “kidding!”
Among the throng: David Muir, Scott Gorenstein, Edie Falco, Bobby Flay, Ellen Von Unwerth, Lee Radziwill, Devlin Dolan, Brooke Shields, Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti and Dana Delany. Delany, in the elevator on the way up to the party — as our ears popped — exclaimed, “You know, I’m really afraid of heights.” Somebody said, “Dana, you’re afraid of heights, in those shoes?” The heels on the actress’s evening pumps were a thin, treacherous four inches. She had the good humor to laugh. (Still, I didn’t see her near any of the windows.)
AH, yes, “Miss Sloane.” I categorize this as a political/thriller/fantasy that might have been counting on Hillary Clinton winning the presidency. Gun rights advocates will not appreciate it.
The film, although entertainingly twisty, suffers a good deal from what I call Aaron Sorkinitis. He didn’t write the script — Jonathan Perera did — but “Miss Sloane” is full of Sorkin’s rat-atat-tat smart-a-talk that one rarely, if ever, hears in real life. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. If the recent election and ongoing aggravation surrounding the incoming administration hasn’t been enough to make you hate politics, “Miss Sloane” will finish the job. The film also stars Sam Waterston, John Lithgow, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (very good), Mark Strong, Alison Pill, Michael Stuhlbarg and Christine Baranski, who makes the most of her brief appearance.
The movie’s big selling point and reason for being is Chastain’s intense performance as Miss Sloane, the ruthless lobbyist. It is an impressive, go-for-broke work, earning her a place of honor in the on-screen womanof-steel category.
Faye Dunaway’s Diana Christensen in “Network” needn’t stand aside, but maybe make just a little space for Miss Sloane.