For the second consecutive week I ventured to the movies without my partner in crime (that's right wife... I'm calling you out!). Being a sucker for a good courtroom drama I decided to take in The Conspirator. I was a little nervous heading in, as a movie set in a century that I was never a part of isn't exactly my cup of Diet Soda, but the old man always told me to expand my horizons so there I was.

The Conspirator stars Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, the mother of John Surratt, an accomplice in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Mary is being charged as a co-conspirator for owning a boarding house that John Wilkes Booth and his crew were staying in as they planned the assassination of the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary of State. Her lawyer, Frederick Aiken, is a 28 year old who is a tad reluctant to defend Mrs. Surratt in the military tribunal, after just returning home from the Civil War.Played by James McAvoy, Mr. Aiken has a tough task in front of him as the panel set to make the decision on his client's life seems to already have their mind made up.

The film flips back and forth between some great courtroom drama, and an odd perspective on the political scene in post-Civil War, Washington DC. I don't think it will take a military tribunal to figure out which parts I enjoyed over the others. I thought McAvoy did a great job playing the rookie lawyer who is put in a tough position. He had a great chemistry on screen with his co-stars, and Robin Wright was quite good with her story despite its weak ending.

It's always going to be tough for me to really enjoy a movie set in the "olden days". However mixing in some courtroom drama will always help. If watching movies from a previous generation is your thing, you will really enjoy The Conspirator. If you are like me and would prefer to see the people driving in cars, and playing on their iPhones you might want to sit this one out.


The Conspirator
Directed by: Robert Redford
Written by: James D. Solomon, and Gregory Bernstein
Starring: Robin Wright, James McAvoy, and Tom Wilkinson
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Would Gene Pick it?: Yes... but only if the popcorn and soda are good