Milk

Milk follows the political rise and tragic fall of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to win a major public office in the United States. Taking place in the mid to late 1970's, Harvey runs for district supervisor (city council) in San Francisco during a time of bigotry, social confusion, religious intolerance and surprisingly, above all else; hope. Sean Penn portrays Milk with such a convincing performance, that the legitimacy of his sexual orientation is incontrovertible, and therefore never compromises the integrity of the story. Beyond that, his performance is so subtle and heartfelt that his orientation falls into the background early on, adding even more depth and emotion to the tragic conclusion.

Milk was assassinated alongside San Francisco mayor Moscone by fellow district supervisor Dan White. White, played by Josh Brolin is the antithesis of the civil rights movement. He is a former police officer and fire fighter, a traditional fundamental christian family man who finds himself trying to play the political game with Milk, only to feel slighted when his ideas are not supported.

Gus Van Sant tackles an obviously controversial subject, but from the opening scenes, there is little discomfort or gratuitous politicking. Blended shots of actual historical footage creates a sense of familiarity and continuity, and the characters are introduced without any flash of insincerity or embellishment.

The supporting cast does a fine job for the most part - I had a slight problem with the choice of actors for Milk's boyfriends - James Franco and Diego Luna. Franco is just too much of a James Dean clone - handsome stares with little substance behind his eyes. Luna was just plain annoying. Perhaps those were the realities of the individuals, but neither seemed to fit what Milk stood for as a person - he was a principled, yet pragmatic individual with a heart for the greater good of society. Of course his main cause was the gay civil rights movement, but Franco and Luna just didn't seem right.

The ripples of Milk's life and death are clearly understated, but there are subtle hints at the impact that he and his band of supporters had on the infamous Briggs Initiative of 1978. The proposition, supported by senator Briggs and Anita Bryant's anti-gay crusaders would have allowed discrimination against homosexuals in employment practices - particularly in public schools.

For those who skipped Brokeback Mountain because of the content, you needn't be worried about this one. There are a few kissing scenes, but the lifestyles and relationships are very tastefully portrayed. This is a bit of a surprise given Van Sant's past films and the graphic shock-value tendencies he has from time to time. This film is more a vehicle for award hunting, and the nominations are well deserved. Expect Penn to receive a nomination for certain. He is currently my front-runner for Academy gold, edging Smith (seven pounds) as the only other worthy recipient.

A good film, uplifting to the spirit, but emotionally depressing at the same time. The pacing maintains a solid balance of that polarity. 8/10