The Conspirator

Although she didn’t pull the trigger, Mary Surratt was one of several people who stood trial for plotting to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. In fact, John Wilkes Booth may have been the only one involved who avoided a day in court. In The Conspirator, Surratt’s trial takes center stage—or perhaps center ring at the circus. Defended by young attorney Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy), Surratt (Robin Wright) awaits what appears to be a preordained sentence as her case plays out for show in a military tribunal. It’s an interesting slice of history that has some problems getting started and loses its flavor at the end. In the middle, while Aiken emphatically carves out his case for the accused, director Robert Redford demonstrates that he still has a few tricks up his sleeve—just not enough of them to mask the film’s shortcomings.