The Trial of the Chicago 7

I see why writer/director Aaron Sorkin was attracted to this real-world story.

A disparate group of anti-war protest leaders, each carrying their own ideas and their own egos, are arrested for inciting a riot in Chicago in 1968. The trial stretches on for months, allowing for this mish-mash of personalities to battle and bond. Toss in a bad judge and a society in turmoil and you’ve got all the drama you could ever want.

Sorkin captures the pulse of the trial, but the film itself is a bit clunky in its execution. The rhythms are off and the interspersing of what appears to be archival footage doesn’t have the right impact–it’s more distracting than anything.

The dialect coaches must have been busy: There are a bunch of English actors using American accents in this film: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, and Alex Sharp.