The Trial of the Chicago 7
netflixIt’s no wonder that two major auteur-driven projects released this year have focused on the Vietnam War. That era, and the year 1968 especially, serves as an uncanny parallel to current political ongoings. Spike Lee tackled the war’s effect on Black men earlier this year with Da 5 Bloods, and now Aaron Sorkin takes things to court with The Trial of the Chicago 7, a less ambitious, but just as entertaining look at the infamous trial against various members of the left involved in the 1968 Chicago riots. Another sign of the times is that both films were released by Netflix – but that’s a topic for another day.
After a brief prologue that serves as sort of a litmus test for the rest of the movie, Sorkin gets right into the thick of things with the trial. Aside from the occasional flashback, the action takes place almost entirely within the confines of the courtroom. Sorkin has something of a pedigree in this area, having penned the courtroom drama to end all courtroom dramas: A Few Good Men. While Chicago 7 never quite reaches the lofty dramatic heights of that film, it’s still a dutiful procedural that remains at a steady pace for its entirety.
It’s common knowledge that Sorkin has a way with words, and the spirited exchanges in this film are testament to that. There’s nothing in here he hasn’t done before, but then again, why change the formula if it’s working? Chicago 7 never really deviates from the general outline of a courtroom drama, and the witty banter is something Sorkin could probably come up with in his sleep.
The one thing that is different this time, and puts the film above Sorkin’s last directorial outing, Molly’s Game, is the star-studded cast. It’s Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne who are likely to get all the press as the ringleaders of the seven, but don’t discount the smaller parts in this fine ensemble. Mark Rylance and Jeremy Strong, as the defense lawyer and Cohen’s buddy, respectively, give the strongest performances because they disappear the most convincingly into their characters. For that very reason, they are the most likely to be overlooked. Michael Keaton swoops in like a vulture to a carcass to chew up his glorified cameo, and John Carroll Lynch is far different, in a refreshing way, than the recent roles that have made him famous. There are a host of other names who all chip in worthy performances, including Yahya Abdoul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale and Frank Langella as the unhinged Judge trying the case. It’s one of the strongest ensembles of Sorkin’s career – directing or writing – and that is a high bar.
Sorkin still isn’t nearly as strong of a director as he is a scribe, but Chicago 7 is a welcome step up from Molly’s Game. It’s more cohesive and maintains more momentum than that film, and it’s generally a handsomely-shot movie – credit goes to DP Phedon Papamichael. Imagery is crystal clear, and while it’s nothing too fancy, Papamichael gets the job done. The film is hampered a bit by some boring production design with regards to the courtroom itself. Since the vast majority of the movie takes place within one room, it should be at least slightly visually alive, but instead it is all drab browns and grays and dimly lit to boot. Nevertheless, Daniel Pemberton’s rousing score adds a level of electricity and weight to the proceedings. Perhaps the most praise-worthy technical achievement of the film is the whip-fast editing, which matches in tempo Sorkin’s rapid dialogue.
Although there is little of exception to be found within the film, Chicago 7 benefits immensely from the timing of its release. It wouldn’t be surprising in the least if Sorkin wanted the film released just a few short weeks before election day. The riots seen in Chicago in ‘68 might be nothing compared to the eruption that could follow a contested election this November. The obstacles the seven faced: a police state, politics-as-personal-revenge, and racist upholders of the law are still very much alive today. It’s frightening how little has changed, so it rings somewhat false that Sorkin ends on a happy note. For a movie where most of its runtime is dedicated to the failures of the rule of law and legal institutions, things are wrapped up just a little too neatly. Lee’s didactic use of present-day footage in both BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods has received its fair share of criticism, but compared to Sorkin’s flat-footed ending, Lee’s seems to have been the right approach.
