REVIEW: "The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Frida Haziran 25, 2022

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Aaron Sorkin

Written by: Aaron Sorkin

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, Frank Langella, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Michael Keaton

In theaters: September 25, 2020 (USA, limited); October 16, 2020 (Portugal)

When I first watched Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7, there was a huge hype surrounding the movie and I loved the movie. But I felt there was too much internet enthusiasm by the time, so I decided I would write my review after a second view after a couple of weeks. After almost 3 weeks between my first and last watch, I can write The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the best movie of the year, so far!

It's a superb movie in terms of execution and an important movie in terms of its subject relevance. It's a movie that excels at making the audiences think. What's the truth? Is what we consider "the truth" what bigger entities made us believe to be "the truth"? Sorkin has penned an extremely interesting reflexion about how the presentation of facts might influence our understanding of them. Featuring some impactful lines and a "back and forth" narrative, nothing seems to be forgotten in the cinematic gymnastics of The Trial of Chicago 7. I do believe this movie's brilliance relies mostly in its screenplay - and, for that, Sorkin deserves all the praise he can get.

Of course the other movie's major highlight is the impressive ensemble cast. Redmayne, Baron Cohen, Rylance, Strong, Langella, Abdul-Mateen, Gordon-Levitt and even Michael Keaton in a scene-stealing cameo... I believe there's no bad performances here! For me, Jeremy Strong might deliver the "least brilliant" performance and Redmayne lacks the magnetic "natural" charisma of the real-life Tom Hayden, but they still deliver fine acting for the every-day standards. Mark Rylance is the one who shines the most, being able to elevate his character above the choir without destroying the tune. But it's Sacha Baron Coen and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who most benefit from the script that was given to them: SBC has some fine stand-up comedy moments, but it's in Abbie Hoffman's interrogation scene where he truly shines; and Abdul-Mateen II might have less screen-time than his co-stars, but he does deliver an emotional punch with the "Deal with him" scene.

The movie's editor - Alan Baumgarten - also makes The Trial of the Chicago 7 a showcase for his craft, creating a sense of pace that offers dynamic without sacrificing the narrative's effectiveness. A note for about protest scenes: there's an almost perfect junction of real footage and filmed scenes, which makes it even more "believable looking". The sound department pays attention to details (pay attention to the guns' noises) and the score is able to create tension without stealing the show from its major elements.

In the end, The Trial of the Chicago 7 proves to be a well-balanced movie: narrative, acting, execution... it's all there! But I believe what really makes The Trial of the Chicago 7 so unique is its subject nowadays' relevance.

RATING: 5 / 5

Oscar potential categories: