I only partially recall HBO’s Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 (from 1987) which was a movie based on the same trial as the new Netflix film The Trial of the Chicago 7. Having seen that movie so long ago, I only vaguely remember the details… but it was enough to suggest the content of the new film was accurate even in the most improbable and jaw-dropping courtroom scenes. It would be so easy – and so comforting – if some of the rulings and decisions depicted were happily the figment of a Hollywood writer’s pen.

And that Hollywood writer is Aaron Sorkin, a man who never wrote dialog that he didn’t pepper with fury and passion. And he’s willing to sometimes put aside reality in favor of drama. And while I doubt some of the things in this flick, the important parts seem to be accurate. Not all of it – certainly (upon lookup) some things were re-arranged or toned down, probably to ensure some level of good will towards both the defense AND the prosecution.

Chicago 7 is about the riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the trial for conspiracy to incite violence that followed. A trial that the Johnson administration wasn’t going to prosecute but the incoming Nixon admin was all too willing. Yes, this movie gets political about events from fifty years ago… and they do cast a long shadow upon America today. And if that bothers you, it shouldn’t because it’s not only history, but it’s simply good drama. You can watch it as a polemic or as just a very well acted and very well written movie.

Great cast here with veteran actor Frank Langella playing the assuredly not corrupt at all judge, Sasha Baron Cohen as hippie rabble rouser Abby Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne as a more respectful defendant, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as prosecuting attorney, and more recognizable character actors and newcomers (with one standout cameo). All do a great job with Sorkin’s clever, funny, and infuriating dialog. If there’s any hole in the cast, it’s Gordon-Levitt… not because he’s bad, but because he’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt who rarely plays the heal so he comes cross as slightly unbelievable or disingenuous as the prosecuting attorney. No fault of his own… more so in the casting.

So, yeah, catch this one on Netflix for sure. You can then look up the real history of events, especially if you (like me) were doubtful of the possibly-slightly-schmaltzy ending (slow clap included). But no crime there… anything that reminds you of something long forgotten except in the minds of people who lived through it or vaguely recall an old HBO movie from the 80s. Like I said, you can look at it as pure drama and you don’t even have to think about the connections between it and modern protests… if you choose not to.

Score: 90