Of course it's brilliant, funny and hugely entertaining; just what you would expect when you see the name Aaron Sorkin, who this time has also directed, as well as written, "The Trial of the Chicago 7" which may not have been 'the trial of the century' but was certainly one of the most important 'political' trials ever held in America. It was, for want of a better word, a show-trial ordered by Attorney General John Mitchell to discredit the organizers of the protests held during the 1968 Democratic Convention. The trial was presided over by one, Judge Julius Hoffman who, from the moment he put his ass on the bench, was clearly on the side of the prosecution, though in view of what he had to put up with from the likes of Abbie Hoffman and others, you might even say he was provoked.
This is a classy production with an all-star cast that includes a couple of Oscar-winners. They are all outstanding with Frank Langella, (the judge), Mark Rylance, (the defence attorney), and, perhaps most surprising of all, Sacha Baron Cohen, (Abbie Hoffman) walking away with the picture and if Oscars are handed out this year surely Langella has to be a front-runner. If Sorkin portrays events in a crazy and seemingly haphazard way then I think it's safe to assume that's exactly what they were. As for the trial itself, you couldn't make this stuff up. This is a brilliantly written, directed and acted tragi-comedy about a terrible time in recent American history, though watching it you might think you are seeing newsreel shot on the streets of America only a few days ago.
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