Milk
Directed by:
Gus Van SantCinematography:
Harris SavidesComposer:
Danny ElfmanCast:
Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, Kelvin Yu, Denis O'Hare, Lucas Grabeel, Alison Pill, Victor Garber, Joseph Cross (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Gay Rights Activist. Friend. Lover. Unifier. Politician. Fighter. Icon. Inspiration. Hero. His life changed history, and his courage changed lives. In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. Academy Award winner Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk under the direction of Academy Award nominee Gus Van Sant in the new movie filmed on location in San Francisco from an original screenplay by Dustin Lance Black and produced by Academy Award winners Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen. The film charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk’s life. While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighborhood that was soon to become a haven for gay people from around the country. With his beloved Castro neighborhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change. He seeks equal rights and opportunities for all, and his great love for the city and its people brings him backing from young and old, straight and gay, alike – at a time when prejudice and violence against gays was openly accepted as the norm. With vitalizing support from Scott and new friends and volunteers, Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics. He also mentors young street activists like Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch). Bolstering his public profile with humor, Milk’s actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words. Soon, he is known all across the city and even beyond, but his persistent determination to be a part of city government drives him and Scott apart. While making his fourth run for public office, Milk takes a new lover, Jack Lira (Diego Luna). The latest campaign is a success, as Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5. Milk serves San Francisco well while lobbying for a citywide ordinance protecting people from being fired because of their orientation – and rallying support against a proposed statewide referendum to fire gay schoolteachers and their supporters; he realizes that this fight against Proposition 6 represents a pivotal precipice for the gay rights movement. At the same time, the political agendas of Milk and those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin), increasingly diverge and their personal destinies tragically converge. Milk’s platform was and is one of hope – a hero’s legacy that resonates in the here and now. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (4)
Weak. How can I relate to the characters of a serious drama when they are all caricatures of themselves? This is not about overacting (that could be in one or two cases, but not all of them!), those characters are simply awfully written. The impression the whole thing gives is: “we have a controversial topic, let’s make good use of it!” On the other hand, the archive footage they use deserves praise, it really helps build the atmosphere of the period. I didn’t find the ending that intense, but that could be because I’m freshly spoiled by Gran Torino and Revolutionary Road. The result: three stars (there are a couple of very good moments), but the Oscar should go elsewhere.
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If there are still those among us who refuse to admit that homosexuals are part of our society, they will probably avoid this great film. Yes, it is a truly good movie, mainly because it was directed by a filmmaker who has the issue clearly resolved himself, and especially because he cast actors who are capable of playing anything believably. Sean Penn finally proved what a great actor he is. His performance as Harvey Milk is truly a concert that deserves the highest awards, at least in the world of American cinema. The Oscar definitely carries weight, and an actor will loudly claim it with a role like this. Gus Van Sant chose an interesting, controversial and emotional subject matter for his film. Harvey Milk was a man of the people, actually a bit of a hippie, who also happened to love men. Society looked at him strangely, but he managed to become a supervisor in San Francisco. The first homosexual who spoke openly about his orientation. Yet people chose him. A completely unexpected victory for a person who, at least according to the image portrayed in the film, played no games. He just wanted to advocate for the rights of those who were oppressed. In the end, he paid for it. Who killed him? Well, of course, it had to be some respectable citizen. An offended supervisor who couldn't bear the fact that someone had come so far and essentially dug his own grave. When your life crumbles, blame everyone else, they're the ones responsible, no one else. "Milk" is actually a story about an ordinary person who ended up among people who are capable of anything. And in the end, he paid for it. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/12/milk-az-vyjde-mesic-trhak-noc-v-muzeu-2.html
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The way the story is told, the script, and in fact the whole theme of this film is predictable, but it's elevated to four stars by Penn and the super-slick Brolin (was it just me?).
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A directorially-undiscoverable biography that is dragged through an hour of hopeful rhetoric and another hour of political scheming by excellent actors alone. Sometimes I feel sorry for homosexuals when films about them have to be either desperate comedies or arthouse martyrdom tear-jerkers.
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