The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 might be the ultimate movie about how to fight the far right -- an artistic testament to pragmatism and a cry of rage in the era of Donald Trump and Derek Chauvin.

By the end, I had given myself over to the Hollywood veneer. 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.

As with all things Sorkin, it takes liberties with the truth - this is not a film to watch in place of reading up on the history - but it's a damn good supplement for that history, and taken as a comment on our modern justice system.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is both a courtroom drama for the ages and an urgent shot across the bows.

If anyone was born to make a film about the infamous federal trial surrounding the protests outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention, it's Aaron Sorkin.

Chicago 7 is a crowdpleaser first and foremost, and in that regard it succeeds on almost every level... Just don't expect it to be as revolutionary as some of those it calls its heroes.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a story dripping in mythos, yet teeming with incredible humanity, with a power that more than carries across the five decades between then and now: folklore inseparable from the world today.

It’s a perfectly functional re-enactment of events that lacks grace and subtlety. It references history, but only for lip service, making everything feel removed and lacking context.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is Aaron Sorkin at his finest, and I hope the next project he does has as much passion and heart in it as this does.

With such a compelling story and quick, sharp editing to match the screenplay, this is a worthy film for my top ten of the year.