The Conspirator

Yes, another movie.   Nay, far be it from me to review literally every moving picture I witness, as a matter of principle.  Indeed, just days before I witnessed a decidedly mediocre film, “Stay Hungry”, whose sole distinction is simply a remarkable collection of actors, to-wit:  Arnold Schwarzenegger, basically playing himself, Jeff Bridges, in an early role of his, Sally Field, a year before accompanying Burt Reynolds in a black Trans Am across the southern highways pursued by a vengeful would-be father-in-law, and the infamous Freddie Kruger himself, Robert Englund, minus his fingernails, striped sweater, fedora, or nightmare body count.

Nay, this film is far more impressive and far more worthy of my description and my valued readers’ attention:  “The Conspirator”, a 2010 film directed by none other than the Sundance Kid & Bob Woodward himself, Robert Redford.   It concerns the trial of Mary Suratt, the mother of John Suratt, one of the (alleged) co-conspirators along with John Wilkes Booth, in the plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865. 

The Young Professor Xavier, James McAvoy, plays Frederick Aiken, an attorney who up to recently had been a Union officer in the just-completed Civil War.   He’s assigned the task of defending Mary Suratt by Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson), Mary herself played by Claire Underwood, aka Robin Wright – who also accompanied Forrest Gump (mom played by Sally Field, mentioned above) and acted as the Princess Bride, some centuries ago in a galaxy far, far away. 

As it was, Booth himself was killed in the process of capture, and three of his male co-conspirators were caught, including one played by Norman Reedus, who we might recognize from “The Boondock Saints” and “Walking Dead”.  Justice demands not merely that these men hang from the gallows, but surely Mary herself must do so as well.  Her daughter Anna, played by Evan Rachel Wood – who we’ve seen as Dolores in “Westworld” – debates defending her mother or her brother, which appears to be mutually exclusive. 

Milton, from “Office Space” (Stephen Root), acts here as a deceitful tavern owner induced by the prosecutor – Danny Huston, who recruited Logan (Wolverine) and faced off against Wonder Woman as Ludendorff, albeit without a mustache – to give false testimony.   Aiken’s war buddies are played by James Badge Dale – in one of the Iron Man films – and Justin Long, who hasn’t hawked Apple computers in some time.  The war tribunal includes Colm Meaney, likewise far away from ST/NG.

But never mind the cast.   The story itself is compelling in its own right.   Aiken, once he’s assured himself that John, not Mary, is the one who should be on trial, sets to acquit the woman, to the best of his ability.   He manages to damage the credibility of some of the prosecution witnesses and persuades the sister to return from Westworld to defend her mother.  This convinces the tribunal, all Union officers who were heretofore committed to finding her guilty, to reconsider that verdict. 

Alas, not everything works out, and Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War – a scarcely recognizable Kevin Kline – and the off-camera President Johnson, himself from Tennessee, undermine Captain Aiken’s good work at convincing a judge to grant  a writ of habeas corpus, which would give Mary Suratt a new trial in a civilian court.  Sadly, Mary Suratt joins the three men on the gallows.  Nonetheless, job well done, counsel.  

So we have Civil War subject matter + courtroom drama + stellar cast = movie worth watching AND blogging about.   Available from Netflix.