The Trial of the Chicago 7

"The whole world is watching." The Trial of the Chicago 7 benefits in particular from an excellent cast and a real-life story. Although the film is mostly set in a courtroom and consists mainly of courtroom dialogue, accusations, objections, testimony, etc., it does not come across as unnecessarily verbose and boring; on the contrary, it thrills through verbal shootouts and confrontations between the various characters, which it manages to do until the very end. Of the actors, Sacha Baron Cohen, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance and, in a smaller role, Michael Keaton were the best, but , the other actors also played their parts in a convincing manner. The film skillfully blends period footage with Aaron Sorkin's reconstruction of the actual case, and engagingly highlights the age-old struggle between ordinary honest people and a politically amoral system. (2021-04-17)

A history lesson for high school students led by a vain teacher who likes to show how he can popularize an interpretation even at the cost of losing the essentials. It's a courtroom sitcom that still balances on the edge of a caricature. The connection between the court proceedings and the events during the demonstration is laborious in terms of the directing, and the screenplay, despite having a good rhythm, sometimes feels like its showing off. The acting is satisfactory and it's not boring, but for me it doesn't have any deeper impact beyond decent fun, with a somewhat clumsy ambition to become a society-wide event. (2020-10-22)

This delicately written, acted and edited conversational movie about positive values and a bad system of power is surprising due to its rather banal and, for Sorkin, unexpectedly theatrical climax. For me, the highlight of the film remains the first long, one-shot scene in the courtroom, followed by static shots of those present standing at attention after the judge steps into the courtroom. (2020-10-27)

Courtroom sitcom. A serious topic, but one that is desperately sterile, slow, plodding, and devoid of drama. How this can be such a critically acclaimed hit in the US to the point that it’s supposed to be an instant classic is beyond me. I understand the portrayal of a legendary trial that is such a sensitive subject for the US, but from a cinematic standpoint, it's too much to fall asleep to after 30 minutes. (2021-05-16)

I won’t lie, Netflix finally dropped something that’s instantly grabbing attention and doesn't reek of cheapness. It’s even buzzing with potential Oscar nods. In just under a month, over three thousand people have rated it, and the praise has been pouring in. Naturally, I was excited. But in the end? It’s more average than anything. The subject matter feels very American, and it took me a while to really get what was happening. Not being familiar with the historical context of the Chicago trial in 1968 definitely didn’t help. Plus, I’ve seen courtroom dramas done way better. That said, the performances are the film’s clear highlight—Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, and Frank Langella all shine. The classic, feel-good Hollywood ending was a nice touch too. But beyond that, I expected more. Way more. (2020-11-08)