Robin PottratzReview: "Milk" is a film of great importance and beauty **** out of 4
December 8th 2008 03:26
From the first minute of "Milk," Gus Van Sant's unforgettable new film about famous 70's gay rights leader Harvey Milk, you know that you are about to be a part of something exciting, important, and tantalizingly alive. In an nation where gay rights are still under attack, Harvey Milk's fight is more relevant than ever...and his story is composed beautifully by Gus Van Sant in a way that draws out feelings of hope, sadness and unbelievable joy. Anchored by a monumental performance by Sean Penn, "Milk" stands as jolt to the system of our current society as well as the sugar coated multiplex. It is easily one of the best films of the year and will certainly stand the test of time as one of the landmark films of this era.
The film takes place within the framework of Harvey recording the history of his public life on a tape recorder...which is to be played at the event of his potential assassination. We are introduced to Milk as a buttoned down New York closet case who is awakened when he meets an enigmatic stranger named Scott Smith (James Franco). They meet, have sex, and immediately fall in love. They then move to San Francisco where they open a camera shop on the famed Castro Street which immediately becomes a safe haven for every confused and scared gay soul who should wander in.
Surrounded by hatred and violence, and realizing the amount of power this new minority group could generate, Harvey, now the self proclaimed "Mayor of Castro Street," decides to do something about it and run for the office City Supervisor of San Francisco. He assembles a team of gay activists, most notably Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch) and lesbian campaign manager Anne Kronenberg (Allison Pill), to mobilize the gay population and after two failed attempts, (as well as another failed attempt at the California state assembly), Harvey is eventually elected to the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco.
Throughout his fight, Milk and his team face opposition from anti-gay demigods, namely State Senator John Briggs (Denis O'Hare) and former singer and juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant (playing her own bigoted self in old television clips). He finds an ally in SF Mayor George Moscone (Victor Garber) and the second half of the film focuses on his battle against Prop 6., which would remove all gay teachers from their jobs. We are also shown the rickety alliance between Harvey and fellow City Supervisor and his eventual assassin Dan White (Josh Brolin).
I have given you enough plot, no amount of synopsis can prepare you for the joy, and pain that you will experience along with Milk in his journey. From the moment that Harvey meets Scott Smith, the feeling and eroticism transcend the screen. Their own personal love story will fill your heart...before it shatters it. James Franco strips himself down of his pretty boy image and shows us Smith's vulnerability and heartbreak. This is go for broke acting and easily Franco's best performance.
Every actor is pitch perfect. Emile Hirsch plays Cleve Jones with passion and just the right amount of smart ass brash. Add to that Diego Luna who plays Jack Lira, Milk's neglected second lover who is able to charm us while he is enduring his own selfish downward spiral.
Of all the supporting players, the gold medal goes to Josh Brolin, who is nothing short of amazing as Dan White. White is simultaneously appalled and intrigued by Harvey Milk, and his ease with every aspect of life and politics. White leads an unhappy and conflicted existence and Brolin infuses him with the uncoiled tension of the ticking time bomb that would eventually put a bullet in the head of Harvey as well as Mayor Moscone. The fear and sadness that Brolin projects couldn't be more apparent then when Dan drunkenly approaches Harvey at his birthday party with discussion of his issues. Dan wants Harvey's confidence and joy, but is afraid to grasp it. Brolin's White is filled with such hopelessness that it breaks your heart. Nothing is more haunting then seeing White alone in his house, in his underwear looking out of a window on the morning of his violent final curtain. Brolin's performance is Oscar worthy and represents the empty soul that Harvey was fighting to fill.
Above all else, this movie belongs to Penn. He dives right into a role that would scare off more vain actors. Harvey Milk was a great speaker and a great leader, but he was also a man who loved all aspects of life. He took in any wounded and confused gay misfit and also had a vibrant sex life. Penn jumped into Harvey's skin with an unbelievable ease. He captured Milk's joy at his victories, the pain of his personal and professional setbacks, and the compassion that led him to become known as "The Mayor of Castro Street." Whether he is speaking to a large rally, or trying to talk a closeted teen out of suicide, Penn captures every emotion and passion that made Harvey Milk the figure that he is today. Penn's spectacular performance is more of a tribute to the life of Harvey Milk then any statue that San Francisco could ever construct.
The reason that every aspect of this film works on such a high level are the poets eyes of Gus Van Sant and writer Dustin Lance Black. They knew how important Harvey Milk's life and death were to the fabric of the new Americana and both men pour every inch of themselves into this film and it shows. Black's words capture the feeling of an entire era, and the docudrama style execution of Van Sant is beyond perfect.
"Milk" is the type of film that can inspire an entire movement and educate others with the tools of feeling and hope. It is certainly one of the best films of the year and a beautiful testament to a man that is sadly not well known. With the recent vote of Prop. 8 that has mobilized the gay community in ways that haven't been seen in years, "Milk" can stand as a true example of what hope and determination can do.
Harvey Milk's mantra was "You've gotta give 'em hope." The feeling of hope that resonates from Van Sant's masterpiece is the greatest gift that springs from "Milk." A film that is undeniably needed now more than ever.
The film takes place within the framework of Harvey recording the history of his public life on a tape recorder...which is to be played at the event of his potential assassination. We are introduced to Milk as a buttoned down New York closet case who is awakened when he meets an enigmatic stranger named Scott Smith (James Franco). They meet, have sex, and immediately fall in love. They then move to San Francisco where they open a camera shop on the famed Castro Street which immediately becomes a safe haven for every confused and scared gay soul who should wander in.
Surrounded by hatred and violence, and realizing the amount of power this new minority group could generate, Harvey, now the self proclaimed "Mayor of Castro Street," decides to do something about it and run for the office City Supervisor of San Francisco. He assembles a team of gay activists, most notably Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch) and lesbian campaign manager Anne Kronenberg (Allison Pill), to mobilize the gay population and after two failed attempts, (as well as another failed attempt at the California state assembly), Harvey is eventually elected to the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco.
Throughout his fight, Milk and his team face opposition from anti-gay demigods, namely State Senator John Briggs (Denis O'Hare) and former singer and juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant (playing her own bigoted self in old television clips). He finds an ally in SF Mayor George Moscone (Victor Garber) and the second half of the film focuses on his battle against Prop 6., which would remove all gay teachers from their jobs. We are also shown the rickety alliance between Harvey and fellow City Supervisor and his eventual assassin Dan White (Josh Brolin).
I have given you enough plot, no amount of synopsis can prepare you for the joy, and pain that you will experience along with Milk in his journey. From the moment that Harvey meets Scott Smith, the feeling and eroticism transcend the screen. Their own personal love story will fill your heart...before it shatters it. James Franco strips himself down of his pretty boy image and shows us Smith's vulnerability and heartbreak. This is go for broke acting and easily Franco's best performance.
Every actor is pitch perfect. Emile Hirsch plays Cleve Jones with passion and just the right amount of smart ass brash. Add to that Diego Luna who plays Jack Lira, Milk's neglected second lover who is able to charm us while he is enduring his own selfish downward spiral.
Of all the supporting players, the gold medal goes to Josh Brolin, who is nothing short of amazing as Dan White. White is simultaneously appalled and intrigued by Harvey Milk, and his ease with every aspect of life and politics. White leads an unhappy and conflicted existence and Brolin infuses him with the uncoiled tension of the ticking time bomb that would eventually put a bullet in the head of Harvey as well as Mayor Moscone. The fear and sadness that Brolin projects couldn't be more apparent then when Dan drunkenly approaches Harvey at his birthday party with discussion of his issues. Dan wants Harvey's confidence and joy, but is afraid to grasp it. Brolin's White is filled with such hopelessness that it breaks your heart. Nothing is more haunting then seeing White alone in his house, in his underwear looking out of a window on the morning of his violent final curtain. Brolin's performance is Oscar worthy and represents the empty soul that Harvey was fighting to fill.
Above all else, this movie belongs to Penn. He dives right into a role that would scare off more vain actors. Harvey Milk was a great speaker and a great leader, but he was also a man who loved all aspects of life. He took in any wounded and confused gay misfit and also had a vibrant sex life. Penn jumped into Harvey's skin with an unbelievable ease. He captured Milk's joy at his victories, the pain of his personal and professional setbacks, and the compassion that led him to become known as "The Mayor of Castro Street." Whether he is speaking to a large rally, or trying to talk a closeted teen out of suicide, Penn captures every emotion and passion that made Harvey Milk the figure that he is today. Penn's spectacular performance is more of a tribute to the life of Harvey Milk then any statue that San Francisco could ever construct.
The reason that every aspect of this film works on such a high level are the poets eyes of Gus Van Sant and writer Dustin Lance Black. They knew how important Harvey Milk's life and death were to the fabric of the new Americana and both men pour every inch of themselves into this film and it shows. Black's words capture the feeling of an entire era, and the docudrama style execution of Van Sant is beyond perfect.
"Milk" is the type of film that can inspire an entire movement and educate others with the tools of feeling and hope. It is certainly one of the best films of the year and a beautiful testament to a man that is sadly not well known. With the recent vote of Prop. 8 that has mobilized the gay community in ways that haven't been seen in years, "Milk" can stand as a true example of what hope and determination can do.
Harvey Milk's mantra was "You've gotta give 'em hope." The feeling of hope that resonates from Van Sant's masterpiece is the greatest gift that springs from "Milk." A film that is undeniably needed now more than ever.
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