The Trial of the Chicago 7

The acting is so good, I'd gladly watch it all over again this minute. And amazingly its Cohen who carried it for me, despite the fact that I’m not exactly a fan. Whether he was joking or being serious, I totally believed that this is exactly the kind of person that existed back then. Having seen the whole thing, I rate the script as successful, but I guess I won't be the only one who wasn't hooked at first. Once the courtroom opened, the powerful, at times sad, at times funny trial began, with the aforementioned cast delivering a beautiful, at times heartbreaking, performance. Still, I feel that their performances could have been "pieced together" a little better for the viewer. A strong 4 stars. (28/08/2021)

This delicately written, acted and edited conversational movie about positive values and a bad system of power is surprising due to its rather banal and, for Sorkin, unexpectedly theatrical climax. For me, the highlight of the film remains the first long, one-shot scene in the courtroom, followed by static shots of those present standing at attention after the judge steps into the courtroom. (27/10/2020)

Courtroom sitcom. A serious topic, but one that is desperately sterile, slow, plodding, and devoid of drama. How this can be such a critically acclaimed hit in the US to the point that it’s supposed to be an instant classic is beyond me. I understand the portrayal of a legendary trial that is such a sensitive subject for the US, but from a cinematic standpoint, it's too much to fall asleep to after 30 minutes. (16/05/2021)

What really impressed me was how this issue was treated in the film. Yet again, I witnessed how American "democracy" works in practice. I did not doubt for a moment that a poetic (or rather creative) license was used many times but given Mr. Hoover's long-term work and the nice tradition of McCarthyism, I don’t care. Mark Rylance was brilliant again. (30/11/2020)

A history lesson for high school students led by a vain teacher who likes to show how he can popularize an interpretation even at the cost of losing the essentials. It's a courtroom sitcom that still balances on the edge of a caricature. The connection between the court proceedings and the events during the demonstration is laborious in terms of the directing, and the screenplay, despite having a good rhythm, sometimes feels like its showing off. The acting is satisfactory and it's not boring, but for me it doesn't have any deeper impact beyond decent fun, with a somewhat clumsy ambition to become a society-wide event. (22/10/2020)