The Trial of the Chicago 7: The event and personas lost in the patina of time

Movie Review: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) on Netflix

If you're a Boomer, you remember the summer of '68 and the chaos surrounding the Democratic National Convention, and the resulting trial of "The Chicago 7", for good or ill. As each succeeding generation lives through its own moments of turmoil, that time and the turmoil it produced likely bring back the memories of "the sixties" and "the movement" that produced the clash of civilizations that led up to The Trial of the Chicago 7. So this bit of historical drama brings it back into focus for those of us who lived in that time and those who may only have heard about it--and especially for those who are barely aware of it.

First, it's important to be aware, this drama plays out almost like a documentary, written by one of the premier political-drama fiction screenwriters of our time: Aaron Sorkin, who also directed the film. It is, of course, foremost a drama, but the feel and attention to detail is documentary-like. That's not to say it doesn't borrow from dramatic license. 

Second, we all benefit from hindsight, or "hindsight is 20-20." So it is a story that lays out with the benefit of the end in mind and can connect dots and plan for conclusions that in real-time--documentary time--would not be possible, even with editing. So Sorkin has 51+ years of experience and context to work with here.

And finally, what a cast! This film is as much about the characters as it is about historical events, and Sorkin put together an amazing ensemble of players to portray the personalities of a movement who were as transformative as the changes they sought to bring about (again, for good or ill, whatever your perspective). They had to be who the characters had been in real life, and remembering those times, these actors exuded their being. Eddie Redmayne was Tom Hayden. Alex Sharp was Rennie Davis. Jeremy Strong was Jerry Rubin. And, especially, Sasha Baron Cohen was Abbie Hoffman. Mark Rylance was William Kunstler, their attorney. Even more minor characters were so on-target for their portrayal, although they were lesser known in their time. 

I guess the takeaway I'd suggest from seeing this film is how real this film seems, feels, looks, and presents itself of the events, the times, and personalities of the time. It has a point of view, of course--all films do. But it picks up an event and personas lost in the patina of time and presents them again with the advantage of time and context and perspective, with some drama.

I would rate The Trial of the Chicago 7 A^ for Above Average in storytelling, writing, and acting. Well worth a see.

The Judge: A Highly Watchable Character Study

Movie Review: The Judge (2014)
Version: Hulu

Through the vault of time we discovered a little gem called The Judge with Robert Downey Jr and Robert Duvall in the leading roles. These fine actors played typical roles for their careers, so no ground breaking here. But it was a good film none the less made better by the steadfastness of their performances and backed up by Billy Bob Thornton as the main antagonist along with a few unsavory other characters.

The Judge is a story of suspense. Downey plays Chicago attorney Hank Palmer, who returns home to small-town Indiana to bury his mother. There he is confronted by his father, Joseph, played by Duvall, a down-the-fine-line judge who shows no favors and believes the rule of law strictly observed best serves the community. Old Dad doesn't see the world through the same lens as his expensive-criminal-defense-attorney son, and they battle it out through a good portion of the movie, sparring over what we don't know until the end. But things begin to smooth out over time as Hank devotes his expertise to defending his reluctant father after Joseph apparently hits a past defendant where there are no witnesses and few clues, and Joseph has a memory lapse due to the effects of chemotherapy. The suspense rides over whether the cranky old guy really did it and can Hank save his surly father -- his cancer-victim father -- from prison.

There is probably more to like in the characters than in the plotting or the pacing or the cinematography. Duval is likable as he always is as the venerable old gentleman with principles. Downey is lovable as the quick-witted scoundrel who owns all the knuckleheads. Billy Bob Thornton comes across as the scuzzy prosecuting attorney eager to convict Hank's Dad just to get even with Hank for past slights. So I would say this is more a character-driven story than anything. Even Hank's brothers, minor to the plot, add juice to this story. Vincent D'Onofrio plays older brother Glen, whose chance at sports stardom was nicked in a car accident in their youth and dad and brother have never gotten beyond it. Jeremy Strong plays youngest brother Dale, developmentally disabled and under Hank's parent's care and the family's history-caretaker through his obsession with film. There are an assortment of other lively characters to fill Hank's and Joseph's backstories, including Hank's high school girlfriend and her illegitimate daughter with deep questions of whether she might be Hank's daughter, too. A lot of resentments and misinterpretations fill in between a load of backstory mysteries.

What you have to look forward to, then, isn't just a mystery but an intense but highly watchable character study. And it's well worth watching unfold, right through the redemption scene at the end.