Good. But short of being great. Generally speaking, I'm a sucker for a courtroom drama. This one has an important story to tell, but the message gets a little lost due to confusing direction and only average writing. It is not Aaron Sorkin's most compelling work (I am a Sorkin fan, generally) It is still a well-acted, compelling film, and it hits the sweet spot when you need to be inspired by ordinary folks doing extraordinary things. I can't help but think this film would have actually benefitted from a more "linear" script (Think, A Few Good Men). The movie jumps back and forth in time as the court case drags on month after month. I don't think this style necessarily serves the storytelling - we end up waiting and waiting to find out a complete picture of what actually happened at the park- what is the major evidence cast against "The Seven"? All the while, we are tugged back and forth by the opposing legal teams and the ire of a particularly unreasonable judge. It is obvious we should be sympathetic to "The Seven", and agree that their cause is just - but without really knowing what they stand accused of, without knowing how the events played out, it's hard to know what we are rooting for, exactly.
Review of The Trial of the Chicago 7
