From cinephiles not being able to handle the truth in 1992’s A Few Good Men to his incredible work on The West Wing, to one, if not the best screenplays of the 2010s, The Social Network, Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin has left his mark on the film industry throughout his career. His latest mark on the industry is quite poignant as The Trial of the Chicago 7 is eerily relevant to today’s social climate despite the film’s events taking place five decades ago. A film that chronicles a moment in this country’s history while creating a hope that justice can still prevail despite government and political interference.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 follows all the parties involved in the trial that charged “the seven” with conspiracy. These seven individuals protested against the Vietnam War by demonstrating at the Democratic National convention. The seven: Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch), and the odd man out, Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) were only in Chicago for 4 hours during the riots. The trial’s lawyers, including William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) and Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), stand against the seven while Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella), and Attorney General Ramsey Clark (Michael Keaton) fight for the seven.
What aids the film‘s execution is Aaron Sorkin’s understanding of both the source material and the courtroom drama based on his previous work. Sorkin effortlessly blends the seriousness of the events occurring while incorporating a level of excitement and tension aided by the antics of Hoffman and Rubin in court, the arguments between “the seven’s lawyer, William Kunstler and Judge Julius Hoffman, and a continued focus of the events outside the courtroom. All of this provides depth to each member of the seven, especially Bobby Seale, as to why they’re so passionate about their anti-war sentiments.
Because of his decade-long research on the project, Sorkin’s passion is evident in his screenplay, which is masterful. Sorkin has been a wordsmith throughout his career, and Chicago 7 is no different as the film’s courtroom dialogue is some of the best of the year. Sorkin should have no concern regarding another Academy Award nomination as the screenplay for the film is not only a likely nominee but a potential winner. Along with his script, Sorkin’s direction is in sync throughout the film. It’s quite apparent that Sorkin has learned from his pacing issues in Molly’s Game and his direction in this film is both organized and focused as the 120 minute time is flawlessly paced.
While the words from page to screen are important, the folks in front of the screen are the ones that bring those words to life. The Trial of the Chicago 7’s ensemble is nothing short of breathtaking. The film has the right ensemble as each member of the cast puts in noteworthy performances.
The film’s two standouts cannot be ignored. Sacha Baron Cohen beautifully captures the anarchic humor of Abbie Hoffman. His sarcastic follow-ups to the judge are some of the best comedic moments in the film. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is magnetic, exploding with rage and frustration at the racism taking place in the courtroom at the heart of the trial and provides the most gut-wrenching moment in the courtroom. Nomination morning should not bypass these two gentlemen’s work in the film.
