But the character isn't merely "aggressive." She's written as an unapologetic, straight up, hard-nosed bitch. Chastain's performance becomes "nuanced" when the character is threatened with, what for her, is complete, career-ending humiliation.

I hadn't given much thought to women lobbyists before, so I found Chastain's portrayal fascinating and a pleasure to watch; the pleasure I took was akin to the surprise you felt it lacked.

Chastain's character in Zero Dark Thirty isn't fictional. She's spoken with "Maya" by phone. And your reservations about Chastain as Miss Sloane are so subjective as to be questionable—unless you have a problem with a woman playing the sort of character that is usually played by a man. In the world of D.C. lobbyists…