The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Aaron Sorkin's follow up to his debut directorial film feature, Molly's Game (2017) has been garnered with awards buzz, and is many peoples tip to make the cut for the Oscar best picture shortlist. I really enjoyed Molly's Game, and I think it's a better film than The Trial Of The Chicago 7. The cast is impressive, and the film is fun, but it feels like a missed opportunity to nail the subject matter to a more serious attempt to put it on screen. Sorkin's screenplays are frequently full of comedy, and he writes it well, but it's an approach that doesn't fully grasp the seriousness of the story here, for my money at least. The performances are generally good, but there's an element of too many cooks here as well, and there are times when you yearn for the court room of an Oliver Stone film, or even something as basic but effective as Runaway Jury (2003). It's an interesting story and it's good fun, but it's a bit too staged, and you're left feeling maybe you need to check out a documentary on the event. 6.7/10