By Nadia Ranaputri
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| Image credit: IMDB |
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, Alex Sharp, John Carroll Lynch, Noah Robbins, Daniel Flaherty, Michael Keaton.
Aaron Sorkin is one of my favorite screenwriters in film, and he really is one of the best working today. Some of my all-time favorite films like The Social Network and A Few Good Men, are written by him. If a film has quippy rapid fire dialogues and long continuous dolly shots that span the entire length of a conversation, there's a chance that Sorkin is responsible. It's become such a trademark that it's been parodied in skits by fellow comedians Seth Meyers and Amy Schumer. Basically, you can very easily spot when a film has Sorkin at the helm of the script. Molly's Game became his first directorial debut, and it is a solid one, so naturally, I was eager to see what he was going to do next. His new film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, feels like it's going back to his roots, a fine mix of his previous projects like The West Wing and A Few Good Men. Not to mention the all-star cast, with strong players like Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt; and with Sorkin helming the script and the director's seat, it seems that Sorkin has brought out some powerful cards for this film.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 takes place in the 1968 Democratic National Convention, where protests against the Vietnam War has slowly escalated to great heights, as well as the trials that were held the following year. As the film opens, we first flash forward to the federal trial that took place in 1969. Among the convicted are Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron-Cohen), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), and David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch). These fellow members are accused of conspiracy, assumed by an Attorney General to be the ones responsible for starting the riots 1968.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 boasts an incredible cast, it is simply not enough to mention just one standout, but Eddie Redmayne clearly takes center stage as Tom Hayden, and he is absolutely riveting. He commands the scene so well, and you become invested in what he has to say. Another that takes center stage is Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman, who not only sheds some comedic relief, but also stuns in the more dramatic scenes. Both Redmayne and Cohen's characters are complete opposite of one another, Tom Hayden is the more serious of the two, while Abbie Hoffman couldn't resist to joke once in a while, even going to the point where he invites Frank Langella's Judge Hoffman to a friendly banter over their shared last names in court. However, both Redmayne and Cohen complete the film, and in the process, compliment each other's opposing performances very well. Then there's the rest of the cast. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has strong and harrowing moments as Black Panther Party member Bobby Seale. While it leaves you wanting more of him, his limited presence has a lasting mark. Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jeremy Strong are also complete the ensemble and bring splendid performances as William Kunstler, Richard Schultz, and Jerry Rubin respectively.
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| Image credit: IMDB |
The Trial of the Chicago 7 manages to be so compelling and riveting, with no dull moment in sight. That's the thing about Aaron Sorkin's script, they tread between slow and fast paced. The story may progress slowly, but the rapid fire dialogue and editing keeps the audience on their toes. Moreover, each of the members of the Chicago 7 are well-rounded and feel fleshed out, and each get their chance to stand out, particularly Redmayne. When it comes to its political message, Chicago 7 is very direct in conveying what it wants to say. It's downright clear in stating which side is right and which isn't, particularly when it comes to Judge Hoffman (though, as I later learned, in reality, was just as corrupt and biased towards the case as he is in the film). But the thing is, it never strays to the point of being overly preachy, but more like an integral story that, now more than ever, needs to be told. There hasn't been a better time for a movie like this to come into the fray than now. Be it a coincidence or that Sorkin is somehow a psychic, the film feels even more relevant today, especially in a year full of turmoil and injustice. Such example of racial injustice comes in a chilling scene where Yahya Abdul Mateen's Bobby Seale is gagged and shackled in court for speaking out against the court. It shows you right there and then that such injustice isn't far from what is already happening today.
It's also surprisingly funny without taking the audience out of the film. It's not an Aaron Sorkin movie if it doesn't have the clever quippy lines. Who else could come up with such a line like, "it's the Academy awards of protest, it’s an honor just to be nominated”? This is mostly provided by Sacha Baron Cohen's Abbie Hoffman, who is ultimately the film's comedic relief, which makes sense if you have Sacha Baron Cohen in your movie. But Baron Cohen nails the more serious aspects too, when it comes to giving a performance that really packs a punch, he's nailed that too. The humor is just right and knows when to liven up or when it has to turn its attention back to the actual story. Like most Aaron Sorkin films, the humor is subtle, but this film in particular does have moments where the humor is more noticeable than usual. It most certainly doesn't shy away from the tension. The film treads between dramatic and humorous scene very swiftly, none of the humor takes you out of the film, and the dramatic scenes are still able to pack a punch without feeling forced. On a visual note, the film isn't the most visually flattering, but the script and the film as a whole were enough to get viewers to really pay attention. It does so by inviting tension-filled scenes and powerful performances that bring Sorkin's master dialogues to life.
Is it accurate to the actual events? Yes and no. After looking into the actual case, most of what the movie depicts are true, with few changes here and there. But it's a biopic after all, not every detail is going to be accurate. And Aaron Sorkin, being Aaron Sorkin, will put some kind of spin of his own on the story. Even The Social Network wasn't fully accurate to Mark Zuckerberg's true story (one of the examples being the addition of a fictional character named Erica Albright). Eventually, it is already a common trope in most biopics, where some things are changed from reality to the movie screen. But The Trial of the Chicago 7 does what it can to capture the essence of the story it is based on, and it succeeds in doing so. Does it fall into the cliché territory? Sometimes, yes, but it very rarely does. Is it still great nonetheless? Yes. The thing about The Trial of the Chicago 7 is that it isn't just a great film because of the timing and relevance of the subject matter, but also the effective execution of the story itself. The pacing is cohesive enough to tell an engaging story, rarely feeling too short or overstaying its welcome by adding too much to its runtime. With Molly's Game and now Chicago 7, Sorkin has proven to be just as capable of a director as he is a screenwriter. In the end, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is simply another great film from Sorkin. It came in with the right ideas, and it laid them out perfectly.
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| Image credit: IMDB |
Overall verdict: The Trial of the Chicago 7 is yet another impressive entry from Aaron Sorkin, especially on his second directorial piece. The film boasts an incredible cast, and there are many standout performances that it's hard to pick just one. It's Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron-Cohen whose characters take center stage, and both with incredible performances that demand your attention. The rest of the cast in the likes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, and Frank Langella; all bring their A-game and complete the cast in stunning fashion. When it comes to the humor, it is definitely more noticeable in Chicago 7 compared to Sorkin's prior projects, a slightly unusual departure from a standard Sorkin script, but a very welcome one, since it rarely ever takes you out of the film. Still, it's able to raise the stakes very well. The timing of Chicago 7 is ever the more relevant, especially in a time of divisiveness. Once it opens, we're immediately tossed into the chaos that ensued and its harrowing aftermath. From there, it tells its story effectively and tells enough to engage us in these characters and the stakes that are held in place. In its two hour runtime, it is able to tell an engaging and powerful story, with tension-filled scenes that will linger with you long after the film ends. Overall, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a brilliant film with an equally brilliant execution, made all the better by the performances, as well as Sorkin's gripping screenplay and ace direction. It's safe to say that this is one of the best films of the year.
Stars: 4.4/5
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is available to watch on Netflix
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