In 1969, seven people were charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
- Rating: R (Language Throughout|Drug Use|Bloody Images|Some Violence)
- Genre: drama, history
- Original Language: English
- Director: Aaron Sorkin
- Producer: Stuart M. Besser
- Writer: Aaron Sorkin
- Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2020
Aaron Sorkin one of the best writers in the industry today. From ‘The Social Network’ to ‘ Steve Jobs’, to his incredible creation of ‘The West Wing’ to ‘The Newsroom’. I was really excited to be able to see’The Trial of the Chicago 7′, his newly written & directed film and dare I say, he might have surpassed himself with his best film yet.
First the story itself is incredibly timely for it’s release. Did Sorkin anticipate COVID-19, George Floyd, leading to the type of protests we are seeing today? No, but now that they are happening it makes this story all the more important to hear. The film is mostly set inside a courtroom determining the fates of our protagonists in the film. a group of protestors who were fighting for the ending of the Vietnam war, played by a slew of great actors like Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp. With a seemingly unfair court and judge, the protestors, along with a man wrongly added into the groups case played by the great Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, will have an upwards battle to prove their innocence from a riot that was orchestrated by police, and pinned on the protestors. It is so timely to be seeing that story concept and only hits with more impact.
The writing again is incredible. But more importantly, Sorkin is really showcasing his directing talent with courtroom drama and clever visual storytelling combined with beautiful writing. The actors are all terrific in the film, Sacha Baron Cohen being the big surprise for me in how great an actor he is and how well he works in with Sorkin’s writing. The set and costume design in the film is also good and I believe worked well for the period that they were depicting.
Overall, I had a great time watching this film. It’s deep, important, and expertly done by Aaron Sorkin, and if you love courtroom dramas this is right up your alley. Go check this film out, on Netflix this weekend.
I’m giving ‘ The trial of the Chicago 7’ a 8.5/10