A tug of war of words
Aaron Sorkin’s courtroom drama is enjoyable yet lacking
Short Form Review
When stories of the past are told, one does not expect to see a portrait of the present so vividly. Yet, that’s what happens in The Trial of the Chicago 7. Eight men are accused of inciting the 1968 Chicago riots while protesting the Vietnam war. The prologue introduces them in an almost rockstar fashion to the humming of a high tempo background music as it segues into the courtroom.
What follows is a typical Sorkin-paced drama, sprinkled with a few snail-paced moments which allow the audience to catch up, soak in, and think. Places and moments in the movie are teeming with the tension of a divided America. A tug of war of snarky comments and witty rebuttals remains a constant, throughout.
While the dialogue and performances are great, the movie misses out on nuanced storytelling. The dense script does not allow for an exploration of the characters’ emotional experience. What tethers the audience to the film is its relevance. “The whole world is watching” rings loudly enough to help recognize the fragility of a democracy almost 50 years after the Chicago riots.