Direction: Aaron Sorkin
Country: USA
Aaron Sorkin is someone from whom we can expect good things, especially when we look into his solid past work - he’s the screenwriter of The Social Network, Steve Jobs and Moneyball. This playwright-turned-screenwriter-turned-director frequently centers on fact-based material and his sophomore directorial effort, The Trial of the Chicago 7, is an entertaining legal drama with a few successful comedic passages.
The film guarantees a lively screen translation of the episodes that took seven anti-Vietnam War protesters to court, charged with conspiracy and riot-related offenses on the occasion of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Yet, most of the pic’s duration concentrates on the often hilarious court sessions led by the obnoxious, discriminatory and incompetent Judge Julius Hoffman (veteran actor Frank Langella).
Even tolerably wobbly in the structure, this film comes in a time where the words ‘protest’ and ‘conspiracy’ are most heard. The fine performances give the story a boost, especially Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman and Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin.
