In 1968, democracy refused to back down.
What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.
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Character
Resolved, overwhelming, relentless and plot-driven.
- resolvedopen-ended
- cooloverwhelming
- contemplativerelentless
- character-ledplot-driven
- unpretentiousprestige
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“Does it take too many liberties with the true story?”
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“Is this Aaron Sorkin's best work?”
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“Is Abbie Hoffman the real protagonist?”
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- badelfon TMDB · Nov 202510/10
Watching "The Trial of the Chicago 7" was difficult, not just because it depicts such a profound miscarriage of justice, but because these were my contemporaries. I wasn't in Chicago, but I was in Washington later, chased with tear gas. This wasn't history—it was memory. Casting Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman is probably the most perfect casting ever in cinema history. He captures Hoffman's anarchic brilliance, his refusal to treat the farce with the dignity it didn't deserve. And make no mistake, this was a farce. Judge Julius Hoffman made it absolutely clear that this wasn't a trial—it was a railroad. The courtroom became a kangaroo court where the verdict was predetermined and justice was a performance for those in power. Remarkably, Aaron Sorkin had to tone the judge down to a more reasonable level because the actual behavior wouldn't have been believable to modern audiences. That's how grotesque the reality was. Sorkin threaded an impossible needle here: balancing viewer engagement with historical truth, making the absurdity comprehensible without diminishing its horror. At the time, people were disgusted with that judge. Sorkin ensures we still are. We grow up believing i
Read the whole review on TMDB - r96skon TMDB · Mar 20218/10
Very well made, up until that ending anyway. It's not a bad conclusion, but man is it cringe-inducing. It seems they were going for an end to match <em>'A Few Good Men'</em>, which was also written by Aaron Sorkin of course. From the overly uplifting score, to the slow clap, to the freeze-frame. Per <a href="https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/film/a34187167/true-story-the-trial-of-the-chicago-7/">Esquire</a>, the scene is not even how it went down IRL either. I'm all for 'Hollywood endings', just less of the cheese please. The rest of <em>'The Trial of the Chicago 7'</em> is, though, very good. Sacha Baron Cohen (Abbie) is the greatest performer, the role is mostly comedic - which he nails - but even in the more serious moments he is terrific. Jeremy Strong (Jerry) is notable alongside him, also. Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance and Joseph Gordon-Levitt merit props, too. I did enjoy how it portrays the (true) story, one that is very interesting no doubt. Overall, I had a pleasant time watching this - though I'd rate it a tad higher if not for that (not negative, just a bit lame) ending.
Read the whole review on TMDB - Arshia Borjalion TMDB · Dec 20206/10
It is important for a film to say what it wants to say correctly and to somehow overcome its claim. "The Trial of the Chicago 7" is one of these films. A coherent narrative with a perfectly acceptable script and no extra glamor. Adapting in cinema has always been a difficult task, whether from another literary work or a real event. The film also manages to make this historical adaptation and not only shows the details well, which gives it a new spirit with the art of cinema, so that it has the necessary impact on the audience. An important point is that the film is successful in creating a feeling and does not seek to hide its weaknesses by crowding the film by using unnecessary Techniques or tricks. Throughout the film, we see a variety of emotional atmospheres that are sometimes very lively and sometimes very calm and quiet. The director, however, has been able to create emotion both in crowded spaces and in the silences, that sometimes take the audience to a deeper layer of the movie. The actors in the film are all acceptable, However, some of them do not become characters in the script, and in the meantime, “Langella” acting as the judge and “Sacha Baron Cohen” as Abbie was bet
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Cast
- Eddie RedmayneTom Hayden
- Sacha Baron CohenAbbie Hoffman
- Mark RylanceWilliam Kunstler
- Joseph Gordon-LevittRichard Schultz
- Frank LangellaJudge Julius Hoffman
- Jeremy StrongJerry Rubin
- John Carroll LynchDavid Dellinger
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen IIBobby Seale
- Alex SharpRennie Davis
- Noah RobbinsLee Weiner
Crew
- Aaron SorkinDirector
- Aaron SorkinWriter
- Phedon PapamichaelDirector of Photography
- Daniel PembertonOriginal Music Composer
- Alan BaumgartenEditor
- Marc PlattProducer
- Stuart M. BesserProducer
- Matt JacksonProducer
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