No one: Absolutely no one: Me: It was a political trial after all! This has been a long-anticipated movie for many reasons. The star-studded cast was an eye-catcher for sure and led me to be curious. I'm always a sucker for a historical drama, so I knew I was in for a treat. The Trial of the Chicago 7 takes us all the way back to 1969. Eight men have been arrested for conspiring to create a chaotic environment under the guise of a peaceful anti-war protest during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The peaceful protest also did not receive any permits, and things go south when the police show up to confront the protesters. The whole process contains a no-nonsense, biased judge and government lawyers willing to go the extra mile to send them to jail. All eight men and their lawyers must fight an unfair trial that's beginning to look more political the longer they stay in the courtroom. This film is loaded with all the commentary. It felt like an out-of-body experience watching this movie all playout for its two-hour duration. This was on top of feeling like I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next since I wasn't familiar with this. (You don't need any knowledge before watching, but if you still want to do your own research, please do so!) One of the many things that I loved about this movie was how Sorkin chose to keep these men away from hero-status. I couldn't ignore that while these men had good motives and ideals in why they organized the protest, they were still human and incredibly flawed because of it. When you throw in 1960s politics, then it really becomes a dumpster fire of chaos. The smart pacing of the story kept you interested without being bogged down with genuinely how depressing our justice system could be. But the best thing about this movie? Like if you really wanted me to pick just one thing that was the best? It was the casting. Every actor was cast with care and was perfect for each character they played. (I mean, who would've thought we would get that from Sacha Baron Cohen?!) I would've never found myself connecting to Abbie or Tom, but I did. I couldn't help admiring them for their tenacity and bravery in the face of authority. They were the perfect amount of witty comedic relief that was just right without making it ridiculous. The plot is incredibly timely, especially with this year being what it was. The parallels of political and racial injustice with societal upheaval are too hard to miss in a year like this one. Was this Sorkin's deliberate choice of direction? It certainly felt intentional and moving. I was motivated by it. Whether it's 1969 or 2020, the time is now. I felt like I went through a rollercoaster of emotions watching this movie. Any movie that can make me feel as deeply as this one is good in my book. I don't think I'll ever forget this one for a long time, and it's one of the best movies of the year.
The whole world is watching.
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