Milk

Milk

Directed by: Gus Van Sant

Starring: Sean Penn

Genre: Drama

Run Time: 128 min.

Release Date: November 2008

On The Web: Official Site

Teaser: Movie Trailer

Reviewed by Byron Merritt

MILK is one of those hot-button topics that divides our great country. The Evangelical Right sees it as their duty to dictate God’s word here on Earth. The Leftists see any form of censorship or denying of rights as an affront to all things human and a threat to the Constitution. What’s tough about this particular film is that it’s a political minefield, rife with ideologues that want to press the issue of human rights. And why not. Many films have done this. But coming off the heels of Proposition 8 (California’s ban on gay marriage) this subject is ready to boil over into a full-on war amongst the two opposing sides.

The big question now is how to view this movie (and it is a movie, not a documentary) without blasting one side or the other, and thus falling into a political tirade. That’s a challenge. And I’ve seen many film reviewers fail (Hell I might even fail! But I’m going to give it a shot anyway.)

Harvey Milk (Sean Penn, PERSEPOLIS) moves to San Francisco’s Castro District in early 1970 with lover Scott Smith (James Franco, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS) and sets up a camera shop, where neighboring business men shun and threaten their gay lifestyle. Harvey, after witnessing the brutality of the local police force on gay men, decides to run for office. After three failed attempts and losing lover Scott, Harvey finally wins a seat as a city supervisor. Beside him is the down-on-his-luck supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN). The two squabble and eventually – as history tells us – White kills both Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone (Victor Garber).

Harvey Milk’s ability to rally friends around him that were dedicated to the cause of bringing the gay lifestyle out of the closet was shown with exceptional care and grace (perhaps too much since I’ve read some of Milk’s past and this film glorifies him as the “Patron Saint of the Gays”). Without a doubt, Sean Penn deserved plenty of accolades and his Oscar win for Best Actor was both applauded by me and a bit of a letdown (I was rooting for Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER). Still, I’m happy that Mr. Penn’s performance got adequate notice. He really pulled off a stunner.

Likewise, the supporting cast were amazing. I didn’t even recognize Emile Hirsch (INTO THE WILD) as Cleve Jones! And Diego Luna’s portrayal of the unbalanced Jack kept me uneasy about what he might do. Josh Brolin, of course, must get some notice as the failing Dan White. And Alison Pill as Anne Kronenberg was simply splendid.

Director Gus Van Sant (MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO) did a great job of whisking us through Milk’s early political failures and on to his successes. The incorporation of archival stock footage of the times added a surreal quality to the film, making it seem almost docu-drama in nature.

Now, what to say about the politics of the film. It certainly wants you to empathize with the rights (or lack thereof) of gays in the U.S.. That is, after all, the message Harvey Milk was trying to get across. So if you’re of the “let no man lay down beside another man” mentality, don’t say you haven’t been warned. This movie is about the life of one man who’s entire existence was dedicated to giving equal rights to gays, so that’s the message that gets spilled. But if you’re in to great stories about interesting figures, this one will certainly please.