The latest film by acclaimed director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Elephant, My Own Private Idaho), Milk draws strength from a very diverse cast of actors, led by yet another incredible performance by Sean Penn.
Milk Synopsis
Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) is a man about to reach his forties, and has dream of something bigger in life, having achieved very few goals in his life. The night just before he turns forty, Harvey meets Scott (James Franco, Spider-Man 3), a dashing young man with an eerie grasp of the reality of modern life, and they soon become lovers.
Deciding to move to San Francisco, where some districts are considerably more gay friendly, Harvey and Scott pursue their relationship, with Harvey opening a camera and photo shop in the Castro Street District, also know as The Castro. It doesn't take long for the outgoing Harvey to make friends in the area, and to become aware of the issues happening within the gay community.
Unwilling to see police brutality and gay bashing occur where he lives, with the people he loves, Harvey decides to take an activist stance, and bring to light this injustice against his kind. He decides to run for office, a few times, but unsuccessfully. Before long, after much effort in finally rallying the gay community, he gains momentum and finally becomes the first openly gay man in California to be elected to public office, in this case as San Francisco City Supervisor.
Harvey quickly learns that there is danger within the corridors of power, as well as on the streets for him, when he encounters fellow City Supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin, W.), whose values don't necessarily mesh with his own.
As he handles issues both personal and political, Harvey does his best to change the way things are run in San Francisco, and subsequently across the country, but at what price?
Milk Overall Analysis and DVD Features
Milk has all of the great elements required for a powerful biopic -- an engaging narrative, a well rounded cast, and incredible acting range from most of its cast.
Sean Penn is absolutely mesmerizing as Harvey Milk (which is undoubtedly why he earned his Oscar for the role last February), as he embodies every mannerism, every tic, and every fiber of the man he portrays on screen. This dead-on interpretation is haunting given the events which transpired in real life (spoiler averted!), and also for the viewer of this DVD, when watching the extras, which contain a brief retrospective of Milk's life.
Mind you, anyone who has studied or read about American politics knows of the deadly events which occurred in San Francisco City Hall in late November 1978. Therefore, the punchline to the film's impact, or any surprise ending, is moot at best.
The impeccable script by young Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black utilizes a clever narrative, which has Harvey Milk at his kitchen table, recording his thoughts about his life so far, should he die by assassination. This allows him to narrate, in his own words, his perspective of the life he has led and his regrets.
Josh Brolin, who recently played lead in a movie of his own (Oliver Stone's W.), adopts the villainous role of Dan White, He deserves as much praise as Penn, in that rather than playing a stereotypical Machiavellian schemer, his Dan White is a flawed, brooding failed man. His growing hatred of Harvey's popularity and success versus his own performance in office, is the powder keg around which most of the second act is built.
The rest of the cast deserves another mention as well, with James Franco, Emile Hirsch and Victor Garber amongst the more recognizable names. Each of them turn in a memorable performance, and completely improve the overall movie. This is the kind of film that will reflect well in the filmography for years to come.
The only lesser portrayal in this movie is that of Latino actor Diego Luna, who plays Harvey's later lover, Jack Lira. His performance doesn't ring true, despite quality lines from screenwriter Black. His character almost feels wedged in, and doesn't feel at home amongst the supporting characters' performances.
In all, Milk is an emotional powerhouse, which conveys the essentials of the story of a man whose dreams and goals were loftier and bigger than he could ever conceive of, who never stopped to think them impossible, thereby inspiring millions across the country, and effecting important changes in gay rights in America.
The handful of extras include deleted scenes, the aforementioned "Remembering Harvey" featurette, and some brief tidbits on recreating some scenes for accuracy of the actual events from the 70's.
