Film: Milk

STARRING: Sean Penn (I Am Sam, Mystic River), James Franco (Spiderman, Pineapple Express), Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men)
DIRECTOR: Gun Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Elephant)
WRITER: Dustin Lance Black (Big Love)
PLOT: The true story of California’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, whose fight for civil rights was tragically cut short.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS
4 I’m not a big Sean Penn fan. I liked him in I Am Sam, but that’s about it. So I went in a little biased, but I have to say Sean Penn rocks this film. He’s the reason to watch Milk. His performance is solid and full of life. I did notice, however, that Penn has a wrinkly face when animated. In his opening scene with Franco, you can count at least ten wrinkles around his eyes (39 years old, I don’t think so!). But that’s a minor thing compared to his stellar performance.
4 While Penn steals the show; the supporting actors are not too shabby. Brolin gives a conflicted essence to assassin Dan White; much different than his Bush role in W. Hirsche plays Cleve Jones pretty flamboyantly, it at first seems overdone but it works pretty quickly. It was nice to see James Franco in a strong role at Milk’s lover Scott Smith. A daring move for an up and comer. Alison Pill, Victor Garber and Joseph Cross all give fine performances. The only actor I couldn’t stand was Diego Luna (The Terminal) as Jack, Milk’s codependent leech of a rebound guy. What was Milk thinking?
4 I didn’t like the way Gus Van Sant shot this movie. He tries to make the film look authentic in it’s seventies portrayal but that means grainy film and boring camera movement. The only two shots that worked for me were shot on location in San Francisco’s city hall using its beautiful indoor staircase.
4 The pacing of the story is well-done. The film captures a lot of the highlights and lowlights of Milk’s aspirations and career. What’s clunky is the narration done by Milk via tape recorder. In the beginning, it’s kind of obtrusive and then thankfully peters out as the film progresses. Its only saving grace is the message of hope that it gives after the brutal assassination.
4 As a Christian, the film got my guard up. Not with the homosexual behaviors shown on film (although some shots were a bit much), but with the way the church compared gay teachers to pedophiles. I hate being lumped in with a group of intolerant, judgmental religious zealots who have no love for their neighbors. It puts a bad taste in my mouth.

RECOMMENDATION
Wait for DVD
(No need to see grainy footage on the big screen, unless
you want to watch Sean Penn go for another Oscar.)

COMING SOON
Film review of Frost/Nixon