Welcome back to ‘A Brief Review’ a series of brief reviews on films from the present day and all the way back in time. Hoping to filter through the commotion and give some decent reviews of some rather decent films.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is Aaron Sorkin’s unique
courtroom drama surrounding the ‘Chicago 7’ the 7 men accused of inciting
violence on the police at the 1968 democratic convention. A good old tale of
justice vs injustice, the anti-war movement and some of the racial injustices
that still plague America to this day. A film based on history which you can’t
help but feel has come at a great time in the present, a reminder that decency
and justice are just as relevant now as they were all the way back in 1968. America
has always claimed to be a shining light for freedom, justice, and democracy; however,
The Trial of the Chicago 7 reminds us that even the world’s beacon for
democracy is far from perfection.
Sorkin’s Trial of the Chicago 7 appears rather different
to any other court room drama you have seen, but it works. An ensemble cast
lead by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne and a rare dramatic performance by Sacha
Baron Cohen anchor the story as not just another tale of injustice, but a
memorable story on the tragedy of the Vietnam War era. Sorkin is tremendous in
portraying the chaotic and divided nature of American society in the late 1960’s
as the Vietnam War effort began to fail. A nation acting on pure emotion, anger,
and disdain towards the people in power. A kind of division we have come to
understand again since the presidency of Donald Trump.
The cast work well together as a balanced and diverse
collection of leaders, but it is Sacha Baron Cohen who shines. As Abbie Hoffman
he appears on the surface as nothing more than an excitable revolutionary, only
interested in riding the wave of discontent. Nevertheless, Cohen displays so
much more depth to a real-life figure who was largely misunderstood. Written
off and undervalued, the real Abbie Hoffman had a huge amount to offer and
Sacha Baron Cohen was tremendous in unlocking his true potential.
For portions of the film the actual trial of the ‘Chicago 7’
was placed to the side as the racial injustice directed towards Bobby Seale (played
brilliantly by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) reared
its ugly head. Seale was the 8th man placed on trial, and even
though he had nothing to do with the actual protest, his ethnic background made
him an easy target. Consistently he is humiliated, broken down and beaten, but
his soul and strength would never die. This hard-hitting sub plot elevated the
film to a sombre consciousness, an illumination of good and evil in humankind.
An unexpectedly great movie from a genre that has been done
many times over, Sorkin represents a fresh and important story that is relevant
to everyone. One of the better films this year has produced, genuinely intriguing
to see it’s representation on the awards stage.
My Rating: 7.7/10
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