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The story, which deviates relatively little from what was actually said and done, sees the Chicago 7, plus Black Panther Bobby Seale, in court over whether they attempted to incite protesters to riot during an anti-war protest. Cutting back and forth between the trial and the events that lead-up to the riot, we slowly get to know each of the 7 (well, except for a couple of them, who we're told in passing are only there so that the prosecutors can seem lenient when they let them off without charge) and learn how the protest morphed into a brutal and destructive run-in with the police.
Sorkin the director is still little more than a reliable journeyman, getting the job done with clarity and efficiency, but not with much style or flair. Fortunately, we also get Sorkin the writer, who can still turn what should by rights be a prosaic exchange about a government or law into a lyrical, funny and hypnotic back and forth - one that's loaded with smarts (and a ton of exposition).
That Sorkin's cast is full of ringers doesn't hurt: Rylance is still an understated powerhouse; Baron Cohen lets his charisma shine through, and proves he's capable of far more than he's been giving us over the last two decades; Keaton, Redmayne and the majority of the rest of the cast comfortably deliver a script that requires them to deliver lines at hyperspeed; and Langella has a grand ol' time as the deeply flawed judge of the case - although he's so sneeringly evil, he sits on the brink of unbelievability. But the real standout is Abdul-Mateen as Bobby Seale. What he goes through, and how he's treated in a court of law, ought to defy belief - but given the times we're living through, it seems all too possible an outcome even 50 years later.
7.5/10 - Despite its lack of flair, it's still worth a look.
And very briefly (well, brief-ish), a shout out for Sorkin's recent re-staging of The West Wing episode "Hartsfield's Landing". Due to the current state of the US of A, it's more exhilarating than ever to briefly live in a beautifully shot and scripted bubble where those voted into public office want to affect positive change. That said, my response to this special may be driven by the fact that I love the show with every fibre of my being, so seeing the actors take up their parts for the first time in 14-years was always going to blow my mind.
With that caveat about my blinkered all-consuming love for West Wing out of the way, it really is stunningly shot. Despite being filmed in a theatre with a relatively spare set, director and co-creator of the series Tommy Schlamme does wonders with the space, managing to cross-cut between different settings with subtle staging, and he frames and shoots much of the episode so that the show feels more cinematic than ever. That the performances aren't an imitation of what the cast did before also helps, as each actor brings the weight of time and experience to bear on their parts. The choice not to imitate is particularly true of Sterling K Brown, who fills in for the much beloved John Spencer, who died during the filming of the last season of West Wing. He has the same gravitas as Spencer, but he finds his own way into the part.
When the special airs in the UK (it's currently only available in the US via HBO Max, but discussions are underway to get it over here relatively soon), it's unclear whether they'll include the straight-to-camera segments (where there were once ad breaks) urging American voters to get out and vote. Although they can be overly earnest - which is pretty much West Wing in its comfort zone - they're also funny; particularly one in which Lin Manuel-Miranda is forced into comparing Hamilton with the glories of The West Wing.
10/10
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