There is a mega weekend coming up with some of the biggest series/movies slated to release. And so this weekend has been light with not many new releases which again gave me a chance to scout and review content which is not mainstream. I did a bit of reading and found this movie The Trial Of The Chicago 7 released on Netflix. A quick Wikipedia read got me interested instantly and I decided to watch it with high hopes. Is it worth your time, lets find out.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the story of 8 men from different walks of life charged with instigating a protest against the government for sending troops to the Vietnam war in 1968. Story sounds familiar? The story has an uncanny resemblance to the political environment of our country and of the world today. If you are well versed with the news today, with a few news anchors screaming their lungs out to get their point across leading to certain implications(even in the recent past), you know very well that such stories still meet with the same sort of an end. The screenplay starts on an overwhelming note with many characters introduced and you trying to figure out who is who which kind of leaves you breathless. But, this is masterful writing of the highest order almost designed like a thriller. The writing slows down with a series of quick flashbacks and gives an opportunity to the audience to piece together the chain of events. Also, certain issues on racism, power, false indictments and corruption are all handled well in this courtroom drama. Yes, there is a right dose of humour as well to counter the seriousness of the legal proceedings but at the end of it it will evoke that feeing of anger amidst a hair raising and goose bumps worthy finale! The dialogues are sharp and on point. The BGM is impressive. Director Aaron Sorkin has done an excellent job, his direction is worthy of an Oscar!

The performances comprise of big names and it was probably the need of the hour to hold your attention throughout. Alex Sharpe as Rennie, Jeremy Strong as Jerry and Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie all have their moments to shine and put their best foot forward. Yahya Abdul Mateen as Bobby has done an excellent job and the courtroom sequence featuring him in the second hour is soul stirring. Mark Rylance as Kunstler is outstanding, so is Ben Shenkman as Weinglass. Frank Langella as Judge Hoffman is excellent and you can’t help but vent your anger towards him at the end of the film. Joseph Gordon Levitt as Schultz is dignified in his role too. Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden owns the last scene like a boss. He is simply outstanding.

The Trial of The Chicago 7 is an eye opener and a must watch, probably the front runner at the Academy Awards next year. But more importantly it is relevant in today’s times too, something that our news channels have no interest in reporting. As one of the characters in the film has rightly put it, ‘I think The Institutions of Democracy are wonderful things, that right now are populated by some terrible people’. Line of the year for me! Available on Netflix and Highly Highly Highly Recommended!