Plot Summary – The film is based on the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.

★★★★★ 

Rewatched on 24 Oct, 2020

I had to watch this film twice before I could even begin to review it. You’re either a fan of Sorkin’s dialogue at this point or you aren’t. If you are, this is a masterpiece. Sorkin is back in the place where he earned his stripes, the courtroom drama. However, this goes one step further, where the entire film is the trial. With flashbacks and other scenes intersparsed throughout the film, you’re never going to be bored. I don’t think Sorkin could ever bore. To me, he is one of the best screenwriters to have ever lived and this film is an amazing display of why. The direction is competent enough but I would have loved to have seen this helmed by someone with more talent/experience than Sorkin. Let’s get to the acting. There is not one actor in this film who gives an ordinary or mediocre performance. Every single actor is simply phenomenal. Sacha Baron Cohen proves his dramatic acting chops with one of the defining performances of the year. Eddie Redmayne is so passionate and his talent exudes through the reels of this film. Yahya Abdul Mateen II is such an exciting actor and his role in this film is proof of why. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is back and gives one of the best performances of his career. Jeremy Strong is so convincing as this hippie activist that it’s almost hard to imagine him as the heir to a billion-dollar company. But despite all the terrific performances, the standout performance for me is from Frank Langella, who portrays one of the most hatable and punchworthy villains I’ve seen in film. Please watch this film, because it’s such an incredible masterclass on acting and writing. This is Sorkin’s best work since The Social Network.