The Trial Of The Chicago 7

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio Ballarat and South West Victoria on February 5, 2021, and on ABC Central Victoria on February 15, 2021.

(M) ★★★★

Director: Aaron Sorkin.

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Frank Langella, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, John Carroll Lynch, Alex Sharp, Noah Robbins, Daniel Flaherty, Ben Shenkman, J. C. MacKenzie, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Michael Keaton.

The judges of The Voice were a bit different this year.

Aaron Sorkin has an uncanny ability to make the most mundane or complicated subject matter not only palatable but entertaining for a mainstream audience. Whether its the mathematics of baseball selections (Moneyball), the creation a social media platform (The Social Network), or just good old-fashioned politics (The West Wing), his dialogue-heavy scripts, more often than not, sing.

This courtroom saga yet again sees Sorkin in fine voice. Not only does the complex story fall onto the screen effortlessly, it also becomes oddly enjoyable to watch despite its at-times confronting subject matter. The whip-smart writing and top-shelf cast bubble with personality and bonhomie in spite of the significant subject matter, without breaking the overall tone of seriousness.

Based on real-life events, the film focuses on the titular trial, where the US government tried to bring conspiracy charges against a disparate group of protesters who played key roles in protests against the Vietnam War that took place in Chicago at the time of the 1968 Democratic Convention. In the line of fire was hippy "Yippies" Abbie Hoffman (Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Strong), middle-class anti-war protester David Dellinger (Lynch), and students Tom Hayden (Redmayne) and Rennie Davis (Sharp), with John Froines (Flaherty) and Lee Weiner (Robbins) making up the numbers. Also included is Black Panther national chairman Bobby Seale (Abdul-Mateen), for reasons that make no sense.

What transpires is one of the most corrupt and bizarre trials ever to grace an American courtroom. Sorkin even shies away from some of the crazier real-life moments, probably because audiences wouldn't believe they were real. 

It's fascinating viewing. After a barrelling seven-minute intro, the film slows its pace gradually but never enough to be dull. Sorkin keeps things moving, diving into harrowing flashbacks of the protest in between courtroom meltdowns and post-court soul searching.

The other hook, aside from Sorkin's great script and meticulous direction, is the cast. Packed with big names, each star shines. Langella is wonderful as the bastard at the bench, Judge Julius Hoffman - a doddering racist delivered perfectly by one of the all-time-great actors. Baron Cohen steals scenes, but Strong makes for a great sidekick. Redmayne, Levitt and Lynch are excellent, Keaton gets a memorable cameo, while Rylance's flawless American accent is part of another great performance from this low-key legend.

The real ace up Sorkin's sleeve is the timeliness of it all. Protests in the streets, cops as the aggressors, government corruption, a show trial - some things never got out of fashion in America, but this is all very "on topic".

Like any good "based on a true story" film, The Trail Of The Chicago 7 makes you want to learn more about its true story, yet it also feels like a solid reconstruction of events in a bite-size, entertaining package. Sorkin's script and his stellar cast make this one to watch come awards season.