Gus Van Sant's much lauded biopic Milk is, in a word, extraordinary. From the inventive structure of the film to the intelligent, well written script to the phenomenal group of performances, this is a film that informs, entertains, and inspires in equal parts. It is a return to form of sorts of Van Sant, and it is the best film of his career.
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in the United States, serving as a San Francisco supervisor in 1978. The film chronicles his life for the last eight years or so, with Milk serving as narrator, recording a prescient audio history of his life should it end in assassination. It follows his time as a business owner in the Castro district through to his involvement with the gay rights movement and his various runs for office. Along the way we see his troubled relationships and the struggles of the gay community in the 1970s.
Milk, played by Sean Penn, isn't portrayed as a hero necessarily, but as someone just trying to fight for what's right for him and his community. His inability to balance his work/activism life with his love life, and his struggles to play the political game haunt him through the story, and serve to humanize this titanic, flamboyant figure.
Van Sant does a brilliant job of tracing Harvey's life through this retelling style of narrative, using actual news footage when possible, which gives the film a very documentary feel. And at no time is it lost on the viewer that this isn't just the story of one man and his efforts to better the lives of the people he stands up for and represents politically. It is also the story of the gay community at the time, in San Francisco and the nation at large, which had to suffer through many bigoted, segregationist laws and intense xenophobia. The film also reflects greatly on today, where while strides have been made, there is still a tremendous struggle being fought for equal rights. Here, in 2008. It's amazing in a lot of respects, considering the strides that have been made overall, what is still left to be accomplished. This film turns a mirror on today by way of yesterday and succeeds in serving the lesson.
Sean Penn gives if not the best performance of his career than right near it. Penn completely disappears in the part, as he has in so many roles before, but here it's with a different sort of intensity. Everyone's seen him do heavy drama, serious pain, grim fortitude, from MysticRiverto Dead Man Walking to 21 Grams, and he's also had his share of lighter fare, like Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Sweet and Lowdown. He's transformed himself into quirky, dysfunctional, damaged people, like Sam Bicke in The Assassination of Richard Nixon, or in I Am Sam. But here he does it all. Harvey Milk is funny, flawed, and tragic, a quirky politician and a passionate activist. Penn is outstanding and nuanced, at no time letting you see the seams between actor and character.
The supporting cast is no less impressive, with Josh Brolin giving his second fantastic performance of the fall (after W.) as Dan White, Milk's rival and fellow San Francisco supervisor. White is a decent, moral family man, unable to make a place for himself in local politics and unwilling to play the political game. Bitter, jealous, and resentful, Brolin's White stands as the counterpoint to Milk's blissful optimism. Brolin is phenomenal, and is quickly becoming one of the most reliable go-to actors working today.
Emile Hirsch gives a rousing turn as Milk aid Cleve Jones, a kid from out of town, passionate and determined to helping Harvey get elected and achieve their political and public victories. Hirsch (reunited with Penn, his Into the Wild director) brings a spirit of levity, and possibility, to the collective Milk camp, and also a fierce dedication to the effort, no matter the adversity.
James Franco gives a surprising performance as Harvey's longtime partner Scott, who is torn between his obvious love for the man and his struggle with the burden of political campaigning and activism. You don't doubt his belief in the fight, and can also recognize the pain of being in a relationship with someone you can't possibly have to yourself in any small way. Nothing in Franco's very strong acting career will prepare you for his work here. It's eye opening.
Really, top to bottom, Milk is an outstanding picture. The attention to detail in recreating 1970s California is exceptional. The work to capture the essence of the people in the time is near flawless, to my eyes. I can't say I knew much of anything about Harvey Milk coming in to the movie, outside of how the story would end, so I couldn't much compare it to history and judge. To me, it looks as though great pains were taken not to sanctify Milk, but present him and his actions accurately, warts and all.
Milk is an inspiring, stirring film, a triumph of storytelling in a genre that often gets bogged down in either too strict an adherence to total accuracy (to the detriment of creativity) or reshuffling and taking liberties until the true biography is more fiction than fact, in an apparent effort to entertain. Milk toes the line between, giving you a complete story that (from my subsequent reading) seems pretty authentic, while also being a very inventive, dynamic motion picture.
Actors: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna Directed by: Gus Van Sant Writing credits: Dustin Lance Black (written by) Genre: Biography |...More at JUSTBUYDVD
MILK is director Gus Van Sant's riveting biopic about slain gay rights activist and San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk. Based on the politicall...More at Family Video
DVDS. Academy Award winner {$Sean Penn} takes the title role in {$Gus Van Sant}'s {\biopic} tracing the last eight years in the life of {$Harvey Milk}...More at DeepDiscount.com
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