Best Supporting Actor 2020: Sacha Baron Cohen in The Trial of the Chicago Seven

Sacha Baron Cohen received his first acting Oscar nomination for portraying Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago Seven.

The Trial of the Chicago Seven depicts the trial of several different protest group leaders after the riots during 1968 Democratic National Convention. 

Sacha Baron Cohen depicts perhaps the most famous, or infamous (depending on the way you look at it), member of the titular seven, Abbie Hoffman. The leader of the YIPPIES, aka the Youth International Party, who are depicted here as almost a purposefully chaotic even comedic group meant to disrupt all of society, not just for the intention of peace. This is to the point the film builds a conflict between him and the, depicted here, more straight laced Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) based upon the nature of their methods. Now Cohen, from the outside in, seems like a change of pace for the comic performer. This in taking a role as a historical figure in a historical drama. Although as Hoffman is depicted here, frankly Cohen seems typecast almost by taking on this part. This as Cohen is known for his, particularly now, politically charged chaotic and comic actions against the establishment. This as he has more in common as Hoffman here than expected with his other major performance in 2020, that being his reprise of his most famous character, Borat of Kazakhstan. Both men are shown to want to to subversive, while also getting people to laugh, by making jokes at the expense of those in power. So with all that going for him, is Cohen ideally cast? Well....let's talk about it. 

Now first off he's not portraying Abbie Hoffman the man, he is playing writer/director Aaron Sorkin's version of him, which has some truth, but also is fashioned for a different purpose. This actually does help more than it hurts Cohen. This is as Cohen is considerably older than Hoffman was at the time, Cohen only being a couple years younger than when Hoffman died. This creates a different energy. I give Cohen credit that he doesn't try to create some youthful vibe, rather he plays into Hoffman here almost kind of like a slightly past his prime celebrity hippie, still doing his thing. Additionally Hoffman had a mix of experiences growing up giving him a strange mix of an accent. Anyone doing a Hoffman accent is going to sound weird, so Cohen basically finds his own strange pseudo Hoffman accent. It isn't accurate, but I think it ends up being more than fine because Cohen makes it consistent and at least natural within his own performance. It still sounds strange, but really it technically should. This is the basic crafting of the character who here represents the extreme side of the activist within Sorkin's script, who will do anything to disrupt. This including taking on the trial most so an opportunity for him to continue his chaotic brand of activism rather than fall in line in order to avoid the potential jail time that would come from a conviction. 

Being an Aaron Sorkin script, who I think always wants his work to be entertaining in at least some way, treats Hoffman's brand of chaos largely as the comic relief. Now to be fair, this holds true in reality to some extent as well where Hoffman would make jokes and make purposeful displays of comic disruptions during the trial. This element of the film is played for laughs to the point he and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong doing his best Charlie Kelly as Jerry Rubin impression), are made to be a comic duo. Rubin being the overt simpleton who is almost entirely played for laughs, against Cohen whose approach is a bit more moderated. Here we see Cohen's performance as he shows a man brimming with glee as he approaches the courthouse. Cohen suggesting a man who loves an audience though perhaps loves his brand of mischief all the more. Cohen speaking his first lines to his counsel, and his first lines to the judge, with a complete lack of shame. In fact Cohen instead amps it up to show a purposeful irreverence to all. He plays towards the joke with his little grins and as he speaks with a directly over the top comic intonation. Although I'll say the comic bits have a bit of diminishing returns on re-watches, though not to a terribly detrimental point, Cohen timing is still pointed as expected, and the right approach in realizing the intention of the character. The character purposefully treating the trial as one big show. 

Cohen modulates his performance outside of the trial scenes effectively. This as when we see him interacting with the other men, particularly Redmayne's Hayden, Cohen tones it down and redirects his work a bit. There is still a joking manner, but it is more pointed and hectoring in these scenes. Cohen portraying more of a personal bitterness in his eyes towards his rival with the same purpose, and less so playing towards the crowd, so to speak. He still presents Hoffman as a man who can never quite fully turn it off, but balances it. This in having bits of seriousness as he speaks to his position with a calmer clarity, or his reaction towards some of Hayden's accusations. For example, his eyes sharpen with a very real anger when Hayden accuses him of wanting to keep the war going. Cohen shows a more serious mind within the act, even as the act is ongoing. Now this conflict is ongoing towards where both actors slowly moderate the disdain towards a degree of respect. This in each mainly showing less anger and disdain in their interactions. Cohen doesn't over do this, but rather just keeps it largely internalized through his reactions towards Tom throughout. Eventually this leads to Hoffman taking the stand, and also taking a moment of compromise while later Tom acts out. Anyway, that's the setup and Cohen does earn this. This again through those moments of a tempered attitude in private, and the direct moments where we see his passion for his cause. The famous real moment of Hoffman being asked his price, Cohen delivers well as shaking off any pretense and just speaking as man saying his truth. This naturally seguing to Hoffman taking the stand where Cohen is effective in bringing this same attitude towards the moment. This being a calmer straight demeanor. He creates the right physical tension in his manner both of a man holding himself back, while also speaking with a strict sincerity as he speaks his message. This is a good performance by Sacha Baron Cohen. He navigates the material well, even if again I think the jokes diminish the second time so that part of his performance diminishes a bit as well. I still chuckled a couple times, but a few more begin to sink rather than swim on re-watch, although again this is more so on Sorkin. The better qualities of his work are still prevalent nonetheless in realizing this specific depiction of Hoffman. This which is almost a riff on Cohen's own presence, which is a prankster, but a prankster with a purpose.