By Adam Daly
The Story
What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest—including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale—were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history.
The Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Joseph Godron-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, Jeremy Strong, John Carol Lynch
The Crew: Aaron Sorkin (Writer/Director) Phedon Papamichael (Cinematographer)
Running Time: 129 minutes
Going into this year, this was easily one of my most anticipated films of the year. A lot of that excitement was in part by the writing of Aaron Sorkin. He has written some of my favorite screenplays of the last decade (The Social Network, Moneyball, Steve Jobs), along with some 90s must watch films (A Few Good Men, The American President). He always seems to pack his screenplays with a lot of dense and complicated material, but writes it in a way that is easy to digest for all audiences.
This film is no different! The Trial of the Chicago 7, is a politically charged courtroom drama that harkens back to the crowd pleasing films of the 90s. It also is rooted in the issues of the time but you can't help but make compassions to the culture that is 2020. The film tackles topics of our right to protest, police brutality, riots, and racism among other things. I know the film isn't 100% historically accurate. Sometimes films of this nature take certain liberties, and Sorkin is a Writer/Director known to take many. The film feels almost too "Hollywood-ized" by the end of the film, to leave the audience feeling good as the credits roll. The ending sequence of the film might come across as cheesy to some, however I didn't mind the "cheesy" nature of it.
Looking at the film as a whole, I thought the film really packs an emotional punch. The film digs its way into every emotional crevice that it could. It is tragic, uplifting, powerful, and hard-hitting, with bits of humor thrown in just for some flavor. I think one of the most important things that this film is is entertaining. I was so enthralled with this story and the back and forth in the events, that it really hooked me. It's going to be a big awards contender and will easily get a "Best Picture" nomination at the Oscars! It's not only timely but its also good at playing with your emotions. The best part of the film for me is easily the script, and how the story is edited together in such a fast-paced and no-nonsense way!
Sorkin's direction occasionally comes across as heavy-handed at times due to music cues and editing techniques, his film is handled exceptionally well for a second time director. The story is told in a way that may enhance a moment or two, but it will give viewers so much insight into this trial. I found myself being frustrated, as certain members of the cast continue to get treated in such an inhumane way by this judge (Frank Langella). We flash back and forth between trial and previous events that got us to this point. It was such a riveting experience for me.
Sorkin's direction occasionally comes across as heavy-handed at times due to music cues and editing techniques, his film is handled exceptionally well for a second time director. The story is told in a way that may enhance a moment or two, but it will give viewers so much insight into this trial. I found myself being frustrated, as certain members of the cast continue to get treated in such an inhumane way by this judge (Frank Langella). We flash back and forth between trial and previous events that got us to this point. It was such a riveting experience for me.
The cast are on full display here! They all display a pureness in their performances, as well as honesty and passion. Eddie Redmayne has the biggest story arc in the film and he delivers. I was a little distracted by his American accent at first but quickly got over that. Mark Rylance, is by far the best I've ever seen him be and that's including his Oscar winning performance in, Bridge of Spies. Sacha Baron Cohen, gives the performance I've always wanted to see from him. I would love to see him get an Oscar nomination for this role. The scene stealer for this film is easily, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He's the performance that you feel the most for.
It's going to be a huge awards contender! This should not only be nominated for every ensemble award, but I believe it has a strong case to win all of them! I think it has some easy nominations at the Oscars for, Best Picture, Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Rylance - however Cohen and Mateen are my dream picks) and possible Director, I think Sorkin would be just as deserving of the nomination here, as Tom McCarthy was for Spotlight in 2015.
In closing, there's no denying that I really loved this film. The writing and pace of the film is exactly what I wanted Sorkin to deliver, and he yanked it out of the park for me. The actors all had moments to shine and they didn't over power each other. Cohen, Mateen and Rylance are some that will be battling it out to make my Best Performances list at the end of the year! The back and fourth style of the film might not resonate with all viewers. I can see many finding it to take away from the tragedies of the true events, but it had the perfect balance in my humble opinion. One of my favorite films of 2020!
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