Is it sentimental? The Denver Film Critics Society decided to buck the trend a little bit by giving their best picture award to Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 as opposed to Nomadland. They can handle the truth. Whatever the case, it makes the film something else, too: timely. However, they still gave their best director award to Chloe Zhao. Maybe real life has made it so that nothing seems over the top anymore. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a mighty - and potentially depressing - reminder of how history has a habit of repeating itself. At its core, though, writer-director Aaron Sorkin takes the "trial" part to heart, leading to a largely courtroom-bound affair that -- while entertaining and splendidly cast -- at its best echoes his early triumph with "A Few Good Men.". Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the rare drama about the 1960s that’s powerful and authentic and moving enough to feel as if it were taking place today. (April 5) Mr. Sorkin’s film is sometimes eloquent, and sustained for the most part by his flair for hyperverbal entertainment. This courtroom drama has its florid excesses, but a fine cast (combined with Sorkin’s indefatigable enthusiasm for electric, shamelessly proselytising entertainment) sell the commentary at this still-relevant story’s centre. Sacha Baron Cohen. Nomadland continued its dominant run of wins in Best Picture and Best Director, while Chadwick Boseman and Daniel Kaluuya repeated their acting wins, as did Aaron Sorkin for his The Trial of the Chicago 7 … As in any Sorkin joint there are at least three lines of dialogue that might make your eyes roll into the back of your head and your body produce an involuntary groan so extended that you will likely have to rewind. in the end, Sorkin is the only guy who could make THIS version of the movie, one that embraces the tropes of the legal drama and wraps them in … User Reviews All in all, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a top-notch film. But this is the first that made me feel like I was back in a theater. The Denver Film Critics Society have given Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 their Best Picture prize, Sacha Baron Cohen Best Supporting Actor and Sorkin himself Original Screenplay.. Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) continued to her Best Director dominance and Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) racked up more lead wins. Best Original Screenplay. The Trial Of The Chicago 7 wants to bottle the revolutionary spirit of its setting—the take-to-the-streets idealism of the ’60s—but its snappy montage-glimpses of demonstrations verge on costume-party kitsch. The website's critics consensus reads, "An actors' showcase enlivened by its topical fact-based story, The Trial of the Chicago 7 plays squarely – and compellingly – to Aaron Sorkin's strengths." The Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS) have announced their winners for the best in film for 2020, with several of this Sunday’s Golden Globe winners finding more reason to celebrate. 35. Partly this is an accident of timing. The film also scooped up best Original Screenplay and a Best Supporting Actor nod for Sacha Baron Cohen. | The actors win on appeal. Sorkin trusts his instincts. Now before watching this movie I knew a little bit about the Chicago 7, but nothing in depth. It is Sorkin’s film’s sense of “right now” that sticks with you. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is something unexpected, fun. (Image courtesy of Netflix) THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7— 5 STARS. For some reason, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same thing happen at the Oscars. But it sure takes you back to the TV magic of President Bartlet. Sadly, that is the tone with this exasperatingly dull, dramatically inert and faintly misjudged re-creation of the “Chicago Seven” trial in the US, which Sorkin has written and directed. The relevance of the said trial, fifty years on, is disturbing yet eye-opening. I knew they were a group of protestors who were arrested for supposedly inciting a … An actors' showcase enlivened by its topical fact-based story, The Trial of the Chicago 7 plays squarely -- and compellingly -- to Aaron Sorkin's strengths. Sorkin’s writing may be better served by a director who can bring a new set of perspectives and dynamics to the work, rather than simply presenting them head-on. The Trial of the Chicago 7 feels timely in an at-times jolting way, with images of chaos in the streets and angry crowds chanting "The whole world is watching." Smash that like button, subscribe or follow! Chicago 7 frames the past not just as entertaining prologue but a living document; one we ignore at our own peril. FAQ Best of 2018: Film Awards and Nominations, Music title data, credits, and images provided by, Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by. Sorkin takes a rather dense, complicated court case—one peopled with figures who clung to stubborn differences even in the context of their shared ideals—and keeps it aloft every minute, as if he were following the aerodynamic principles of hang-gliding rather than moviemaking. It's also a reminder that there was no Chicago 7 until the establishment brought them together. This is not a documentary; it’s a dramatization of events that resonates with great power while containing essential truths, and it’s one of the best movies of the year. A fiery condemnation of the police state and government overreach, this is both timely and timeless. Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7—widely praised by critics, including yours truly—arrives on Netflix today. While some moments may feel Hollywoodized to a fault, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is compelling in its recount of a politicized court case. The Trial of the Chicago 7, smoothly entertaining as it is, may also elude clear consensus. You’ll find that out in the film’s last — and best — moment, which belongs to Redmayne. Briskly paced, bristling with Sorkin’s distinctive verbal fusillades, seamlessly blending conventional courtroom procedural with protest reenactments and documentary footage (including Wexler’s), The Trial of the Chicago 7 offers an absorbing primer in a chapter of American history that was both bizarre and ruefully meaningful. From a movie-making perspective, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is sturdy but not particularly revelatory. The actors win on appeal. Yet it works anyway. This is not a documentary; it’s a dramatization of events that resonates with great power while containing essential truths, and it’s one of the best movies of the year. Critics Choice Awards 2021: 'Mank', 'Da 5 Bloods', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' and 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' lead nominations; Peter Dinklage to lend voice for 'This was Our Pact' Best Film Editing: ‘Sound of Metal’– Mikkel E.G. User Ratings Expect Oscar to sprinkle gold dust on writer-director Aaron Sorkin and a gangbusters cast for making this recreation of a notorious 1969 trial burn with a timely relevance that singes the screen. Yet it works anyway. Yet it also diminishes its aura of authenticity with dubious inventions, and muddles its impact by taking on more history than it can handle. Not only does it represent some of Sorkin’s best work for years, but in this time of civil unrest and with the dark clouds of November nearly upon is, this reminder of the right to resist the state could not be timelier. In the works for more than a decade, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is ultimately a complete work by Aaron Sorkin, but it began as a project developed for Steven Spielberg. Sadly, that is the tone with this exasperatingly dull, dramatically inert and faintly misjudged re-creation of the “Chicago Seven” trial in the US, which Sorkin has written and directed. Trial of the Chicago 7 Recreational Critics Podcasts • By Jason and Marvin Rhodeman • Oct 20, 2020. Peter Bradshaw @PeterBradshaw1. ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ Is a Timely Courtroom Drama by David Palmer; The Trial of the Chicago 7 Movie Review by Matthew Passantino; FILM REVIEW: ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ is an Arresting Drama by Steven Prusakowski; The Trial Of The Chicago 7 Review: A Powerful & Moving Film by Tessa Smith A brief history lesson: Months after the Chicago riots that took place around the 1968 Democratic National Convention, a loosely associated but prominent group of Vietnam War protestors were accused by the U.S. federal government of conspiracy, inciting riots, and various other serious charges. Sorkin doesn’t face these evils for more than a moment at a time. Thu 24 Sep 2020 21.00 EDT. "Trial” is so inherently compelling — and so directly germane to an America where the government labels cities “anarchist jurisdictions” and states are drawing up laws against free assembly — that it doesn’t need the frills. Best of all, he brings out the best each actor in this enormous ensemble cast has to offer; every character is rendered with jewelers-loupe clarity. And it’s always worth revisiting this particular chapter of Chicago unrest and injustice, because that chapter, tragically, is always up for another rewrite. But as a delivery system for great performers rattling off … Let the kids know what happened the way it happened. The movie is at its best and most persuasive in the courtroom, when Sorkin can draw on the clashes of ideology and personality. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is an instant classic. His characters are the brightest, slickest people you will ever meet, and whether you’re meant to love or loathe them, Sorkin has a genuine talent for ensuring his heroes and villains will forever stick in your head, wandering the recesses of your mind in an eternal walk-and-talk formation. The Art of Starting Over. Sorkin’s writing may be better served by a director who can bring a new set of perspectives and dynamics to the work, rather than simply presenting them head-on. The filmmaker crafts an entertaining, immersive and ultimately optimistic spectacle that never forgets, especially at its ending, that humanity should always trump the system. But watching it at a moment when the majority of the population is moving leftward while our institutions are held hostage by a far-right minority — and when police violence continues, unchecked and unprosecuted, in the streets — provides the vicarious pleasure of watching a bunch of hyperarticulate progressives speak truth to power, and it feels pretty damn good, even if they do all talk a lot like Aaron Sorkin. Thank you for listening! The fall awards season roars in with this cinema powder keg. Viewers with no context of the history behind this courtroom drama might … ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Certain events are rearranged from the factual timelines, and yes, The Trial of the Chicago 7 exercises poetic license. But it’s also not a movie that can be easily shaken off. It then passed along to Paul Greengrass and even Ben Stiller eyed it at one point. Advertisement It’s when one considers the overall picture that things get a little hazy. This is a film that examines both the past and the present day; that plots a path on the common ground between them. © 2021 METACRITIC, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. The Music City Film Critics Association, based in Nashville, Tennessee, have revealed their nominations for the best in 2020 film and two films that had been rather absent in the first week of critics announcements, Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (both from Netflix), bounced back today, leading the pack with nine and seven, respectively, including Best Picture and Best Director nominations. T he verbal fireworks that dance through Aaron Sorkin’s newest movie, The Trial of the Chicago 7, seem too explosive to be true.The film depicts the 1969 Chicago Seven trial… The Trial of the Chicago 7 is both a courtroom drama for the ages and an urgent shot across the bows. Despite Sorkin’s significant shortcomings as a director, The Trial of the Chicago 7 hums along mightily on the strength of its god-tier ensemble and whip-smart script. Chicago 7 frames the past not just as entertaining prologue but a living document; one we ignore at our own peril. Parents need to know that The Trial of the Chicago 7 tackles mature issues, involves scenes of violence inflicted by police, and depicts some authority figures making unethical decisions. See all external reviews for The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020). His script and direction gaze rather than observe, and by the time the score swells and the requisite title cards inform the viewer of its leads’ fates, The Trial of the Chicago 7 has brought virtually nothing to light. He doesn’t even try to convert the uninitiated, but his movie thinks it does. Share. It advances no cutting-edge ideas and pushes no cinematic boundaries. It all comes back to Sorkin's core idea, implicitly and expertly expressed: that the tactic of violence and provocation, then making the victims seem like thugs, is still performed in Portland and St. Louis and New York, just as it was in Chicago. Read full review The starry cast of Aaron Sorkin’s 1960s courtroom drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7” took the top prize at a virtual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. | But as a delivery system for great performers rattling off great dialogue, it’s almost unbeatable. The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is one of the most powerful and moving movies I have ever seen. And it’s always worth revisiting this particular chapter of Chicago unrest and injustice, because that chapter, tragically, is always up for another rewrite. The Trial of the Chicago 7 began 18 months later, ruled by a corrupt judge—me. Marc Platt (producer) Stuart M. Besser (as Stuart Besser) (producer) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. But as a delivery system for great performers rattling off great dialogue, it’s almost unbeatable. Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 This film is one of those exhilarating instances when Sorkin finds a context in which all of his well-established impulses that can be so annoying elsewhere — the self-righteousness, the straw men, the great men, the men who aren’t onstage but are nevertheless digging deep in their diaphragms to deliver their lines to the back row — actually work. It’s talky and clumsy, alternating between self-importance and clowning. It pulses with relevancy in a time when debates over authoritarianism, protests, and the necessity of radicalism are convulsing America. There are such wonderful individual moments and beats in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” that just watching it as an acting exercise makes it worthwhile. While many will draw parallels between scenes involving civil unrest to the events of 2020, the philosophical differences between Hayden and Abbie — cultural versus electoral revolution, respectively — ring closely to the debates raging within progressive politics today, and actually prove more interesting. Awards Given The Trial of the Chicago 7’s snapshot of an era of an almost hopelessly divided America, and Kafka-esque and monstrous misuse of power by a bullying President, the timing for its release couldn’t be better. That I got those chills down the back as I watched something I’m just loving for the first time of what will be many times. You betcha. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 based on 48 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Sorkin and a superb cast make legal proceedings compelling, and then show that the law is an ass. From a movie-making perspective, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is sturdy but not particularly revelatory. It pulses with relevancy in a time when debates over authoritarianism, protests, and the necessity of radicalism are convulsing America. Writer-director Aaron Sorkin's star-studded chronicle of The Trial of the Chicago 7 is timely and terrific. Sorkin trusts his instincts. And it’s … Best Motion Picture of the Year. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is exactly as advertised — a giant, giddy burst of earnest theatricality, loaded with a formidable ensemble that chews on every inch of the scenery, that overall makes a passionate case for the resilience of its formula more than using it as an excuse. The Trial of the Chicago 7 moves beyond Sorkin the writer of dialogue, or Sorkin the supplier of scripts to the likes of Rob Reiner, David Fincher and Danny Boyle, to Sorkin the filmmaker. Clearly Sorkin sees the Chicago 7 as victims of the vilification of dissent. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is something unexpected, fun. | that and telling some of your closest compadres really helps us out! The Trial of the Chicago 7 review – timely courtroom drama Aaron Sorkin’s electrifying dramatisation of the trial of a group of 60s radicals illuminates issues that still trouble America But it just goes to show how good the rest of it is that a few clunkers could stick out that much. Notable Video Game Releases: New and Upcoming, 22 Most-Anticipated TV Shows & Movies to Watch at Home in April. External Reviews. He [Sorkin] can also become fantastically ponderous, bloated with finger-waggingly self-important liberal patriotism. There’s hardly a false note in the cast, all of them capably handling Sorkin’s overlapping, erudite dialogue with aplomb, and many of the big moments land with a splash. critics consensus. 75. An emotionally tough watch – though an exhilarating one tahnks to Aaron Sorkin's reliably taught script and direction. This is too neat, tidy, and digestible of a take on such a wrenching topic—especially when we know the forces of injustice at work here were only temporarily stymied by this trial, and hardly defeated. Sorkin has made a movie that's gripping, illuminating and trenchant, as erudite as his best work and always grounded first and foremost in story and character. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is exactly as advertised — a giant, giddy burst of earnest theatricality, loaded with a formidable ensemble that chews on every inch of the scenery, that overall makes a passionate case for the resilience of its formula more than using it as an excuse. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 311 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is exactly as advertised — a giant, giddy burst of earnest theatricality, loaded with a formidable ensemble that chews on every inch of the scenery, that overall makes a passionate case for the resilience of its formula more than using it as an excuse. The Trial of the Chicago 7 makes for an entertaining and compelling courtroom drama, bolstered by Sorkin's script and strong performances. Since theaters basically ceased to exist, there’s been a few movies I’ve watched screeners at home and have really, really enjoyed. He also sees them as exemplars – this is his version of a superhero movie – and the idealization at times gets a bit sticky. Tremendously entertaining and affecting, The Trial of the Chicago 7, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (and streaming on Netflix), is a first-rate crowd-pleasing zeitgeist picture like On the Waterfront and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.There hasn’t been one of those in a long time – perhaps since The Social Network, which Sorkin wrote and David Fincher directed a decade ago. Last modified on Mon 12 Oct 2020 14.13 EDT. This felt like a real event. Democracy is a messy business, but an element of real, lived-in messiness seems beyond this movie’s purview. The filmmaker crafts an entertaining, immersive and ultimately optimistic spectacle that never forgets, especially at its ending, that humanity should always trump the system. Denver Critics Fall For ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ by Mitchell Beaupre January 18, 2021, 2:44 pm The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the big winner today from the Denver Film Critics Society, hoping that the win could give them a little boost to start making a move to overtake current frontrunners like Chloé Zhao ’s Nomadland . Oscar. From a movie-making perspective, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is sturdy but not particularly revelatory. Although The Trial of the Chicago 7 has a serious message, it finds room for moments of (dark) comedy and (gallows) humor. Instead, by reshaping this charged moment culled from somewhat recent American history in his own image, Sorkin has made The Trial of the Chicago 7 about something else entirely: himself. He [Sorkin] can also become fantastically ponderous, bloated with finger-waggingly self-important liberal patriotism. Nielsen & ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ – Alan Baumgarten *TIE* Best Visual Effects: ‘Tenet’ Certain events are rearranged from the factual timelines, and yes, The Trial of the Chicago 7 exercises poetic license. Trial of the Chicago 7 ... Trial of the Chicago 7 . The film seesaws between being a persuasive argument for standing up for what’s right and simply being an actor’s showcase. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Trial of the Chicago 7. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” movie reviews are in, and it appears most of the top critics are praising the Netflix film. It looks and sounds great, but should it? I don’t think, on balance, that this is a very good movie. | Movie review of The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) by The Critical Movie Critics | Story of 7 people on trial over the protests at the 1968 Democratic Convention. Whatever the case, it makes the film something else, too: timely. Read critic reviews Aaron Sorkin (written by) Best Achievement in Film Editing. Maybe real life has made it so that nothing seems over the top anymore. Chicago 7 is a particularly shiny rendering of history, but Sorkin wisely places the focus on America’s failings, even as he celebrates the people striving to fix them. The streaming giant’s original film “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” written and directed by the “West Wing” creator, earned Best Picture honors from the Denver Film Critics Society. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the subject brings out everything that’s good about Sorkin’s writing — not just the clever banter, which is a constant delight, but his way of conveying who the good and bad guys are without succumbing to hero worship or moral posturing. While many will draw parallels between scenes involving civil unrest to the events of 2020, the philosophical differences between Hayden and Abbie — cultural versus electoral revolution, respectively — ring closely to the debates raging within progressive politics today, and actually prove more interesting. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is exactly as advertised — a giant, giddy burst of earnest theatricality, loaded with a formidable ensemble that chews on every inch of the scenery, that overall makes a passionate case for the resilience of its formula more than using it as an excuse.