“The Trial of the Chicago 7” Review: Sorkin fans and newcomers alike will find a much-needed glimmer of hope in these troubling times.
By Quinn Marcus
(2020)
Genre: Drama, History
Age: 13+
85/100: Sweet
“We’re going to jail because of who we are.” The Trial of the Chicago 7 was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and is based on a true story. Oh, Mr. Sorkin, can you ever disappoint? Meeting my expectations once again with your newest compelling courtroom drama. I mean who doesn’t love to see old men constantly shouting at each other, and the audience looking carelessly back and forth. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best way to put it. You ever heard of the term ‘dancing with dialogue,’ doesn’t matter. It seems if Sorkin does the tango with anybody, it’s his own words. Wow, some weird images just popped into my mind all at once. My point is if there was a script I could marry, it would be one of his (more weird images, again). With dialogue so fast-paced and rhythmic, you can tap your foot to it. With character moments so shocking, your left with your mouth wide open. If that wasn’t good enough, he’s a director now, and he did a pretty decent job. I’ve been working on some dialogue too, really proud of it, here’s a sample: “Johnny, you come over here now, or your gonna get yourself an ash whupping.” Just that line proves the complexity of my intellectual prowess, If I ever get the chance, I think I could go head to head with Sorkin one day; now that would be a fight for the ages. So, did I have any flaws?
Sadly, the film does tend to drag, it’s really the courtroom scenes where it truly shines. Now, that’s not an awful thing, it kind of just ruined the pacing for me. Also, the plot can be a little hard to follow at times due to its extremely fast-paced structure. To add, Aaron Sorkin is a new director, and while he handled things pretty well, it seems that he still hasn’t quite found his footing yet. Forgive me, master Sorkin, have mercy upon my feeble criticisms.
When I finished watching The Trial of the Chicago 7, besides raving about his screenplay; one of the first things I said was “it’s crazy that in 50 or 60 years, not much has changed, we’re still seeing the same imagery.” This is true, ever read that thing called news, it’s got some pretty crappy stuff on there, and yet, it’s our reality. One of the things this film teaches us is that although we have a crooked democracy, most of the time, the heroes always triumph. Good people bring back the balance in that which is broken. It’s an important thing to consider before and after watching the film. Don’t walk in just expecting another Sorkin masterpiece, expect to learn something. You won’t just gasp in awe as his marvelous work is presented in front of you. You’ll find yourself once again questioning the world around you. Society snaps, but nothing, not even society, can’t be fixed.
So, what did I like about it? The writing. Every line of dialogue on screen is almost miraculous to hear, and the characters that say those lines are so specific and filled with personality. As I said before, the back and forth dialogue is so rhythmic that you could make a song out of it if you tried. While Sorkin still has a long way to go as a director, his clear talent as a writer ain’t going away any time soon. Providing thought-provoking themes in all the right ways, Aaron Sorkin may have not crafted his most spectacular film yet, but he didn’t let me down. Courtroom dramas can go one of two ways: 1. Super boring, or 2. Highly entertaining. The Trial of the Chicago 7 was one court film that made me cheer for the defending side. This brings me to my next point, the plot is so energetic. Despite the exhaustingly speedy pace, the story’s compelling and disturbing imagery plus its inspirational tone are all just enough to keep you watching.
The cast including Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Sascha Baron Cohen (Borat), Jeremy Strong (The Gentlemen), and Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) all provided sensational performances. In fact, besides the writing, the acting was probably the best part of the film. Strong and Cohen carried out most of the movie’s humor brilliantly. Rylance took up the role of lawyer William Kunstler with skill and passion. Meanwhile, Redmayne was the standout for me, not just the fact that his accent was spot on, but his talent is truly showcased in a scene where Rylance’s character simulates Redmayne’s character on the stand. His emotion, chemistry, and dramatic depth with the other actors are what pushed him over the edge in my opinion.
There is violent imagery in the film, policemen beat up peaceful protestors with clubs and tear gas. There is some blood in the film, a few sexual references. There is a large amount of language including uses of sh-t and fu-k. The dialogue is fast, and will probably be harder to understand for younger children. However, the film has relevant political messages about democracy and includes characters worth rooting for. I highly recommend this movie for teens looking for something relevant to watch right now.