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"A surprisingly optimistic film of an assassinated politician"
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MILK is a biopic about Harvey Milk, a homosexual political activist who moved back to San Francisco in 1972 and after several losing campaigns was eventually elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. The film is a pasteurized biopic that begins on Harvey Milk's (Sean Penn's) birthday and his move to San Francisco with his then lover, Scott Smith (James Franco). Upon arriving in the city, the couple opens a camera shop on Castro Street., which eventually becomes the headquarters for the local gay community as well as Milk's campaign headquarters for the various political offices he would run for. MILK loosely follows Harvey's life through his political campaigns until after several failed attempts at other offices, he is eventually elected as one of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. In the movie, upon being elected Milk forms an alliance with fellow Supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin). White agrees to support Milk's city-wide gay rights ordinance if Milk will support his attempt to keep a psychiatric hospital from opening in the neighborhood he represents. White is true to his word and is initially supportive of Milk's initiatives, but then Milk betrays White by not supporting him and voting for the establishment of the psychiatric hospital in White's district. White is dismayed and becomes Milk's adversary and nemesis, voting against everything he supports and voting for everything that he is against. Milk doesn't seem shocked at all by White's behavior and seems to take a sadistic joy in tormenting him. It is White who ultimately kills both Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Mascone (Victor Garber). The movie basically ends showing the streets filled with people in a candle-lit march in honor of Milk and Mascone.
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The best thing about MILK is the acting, particularly the supporting cast. James Franco does an excellent job portraying Scott Smith, the man who came back to San Francisco with Harvey Milk and was later abandoned by him. Josh Brolin, portraying Dan White, continues to amaze with his chameleon-like abilities to almost become the characters he portrays. Also notable is Emile Hirsch as Cleve Jones, a follower of Milk's who becomes a gay activist leader himself. There's been a huge hoopla about Sean Penn and his portrayal of Harvey Milk, cumulating in his win for Best Actor at the Oscars. I don't know what the hoopla is all about. Penn's performance is passable, but in all honesty it's not great. In fact, the whole time I was watching MILK in my mind I kept thinking all he was doing was a variation of Sam Dawson from I AM SAM; a performance Penn almost lost his career over.
The uberexuberance over Penn's performance also seems to carry over to the movie as a whole because even though MILK is a decent movie, it's not a great movie. Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate the movie, but I just don't think it's as good as it is being marketed. MILK follows the same cliché-ridden pattern that countless other biopics before it set forth. Everything from the movie's score, to the arc of the story structure, to the overextended final images Milk sees at his death, to the triumphant candle-lit march at the end of the movie are ripped from the playbook of the biopic. The film displays very little originality and offers nothing new to the medium. Not only that but it glosses over or ignores the more interesting parts of Milk's character and portrays him in a far more positive light than he really was. Towards the end of the movie, Harvey Milk is talking to Mayor Mascone and the Mayor says, "You know who you sounded like just then? Boss Tweed." The statement is meant as a compliment but shouldn't be. Boss Tweed was an evil and ruthless man and is someone we should be trying to avoid being like and not emulate. The same could be said of Harvey Milk and the movie about that version of Harvey Milk would be far more interesting.
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More Milk (2008 movie) reviews
Milk is Sean Penn's best-sustained performance since Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I'm not joking and I mean it as high praise. Penn, at least in those movies of his I've seen, starts strongly and then dives head first into that famous Penn intensity that some consider acting with a capital "A." In Milk, Penn early establishes Milk as smart, empathetic, self-aware, even gentle, playful and lovable. Penn doesn't lose those qualities, and adds … more
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review by liasol.
March 01, 2009
By all accounts, Harvey Milk was a breath of fresh air, the light in the room, the life of the party. By "all accounts", I mean that's what Dennis Peron said when I asked him. I had the interesting experience of staying at the home of one of Harvey's friends and fellow activists in the Castro during the filming of the movie. Peron makes only a very brief appearence in the movie, but he was very excited about it and (when I could get him to stop talking about the medical marijuana … more
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Quick Tip by Alinutza.
May 14, 2010
Best man acting
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review by MichaelN.
November 18, 2009
I first heard the name Harvey Milk about a few years ago when a new high school for gay teens was being opened in Manhattan and stirred a lot of controversy. That school was named after Harvey Milk. The news said that he was an openly gay politician from San Franscisco. I was a little remiss at the time because when I hear somebody mentioned who I know nothing about, I usually research them at a minimum on Wikipedia. I failed and the name Harvey Milk was filed deep in my brain … more
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Quick Tip by devora.
August 29, 2009
Amazing movie. Sean Penn was perfect. What a great biopic tribute to a great man.
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review by ColoradoKitty.
March 09, 2009
If you've ever seen a biopic of Martin Luther King Jr. or John F. Kennedy (or his brother), you're probably familiar with the standard arc: the hero as a child, then a struggling young adult, the sensitive woman who stood by his side, etc. Milk immediately distinguishes itself by starting at a point when the main character, Harvey Milk, is already a middle-aged middle management flunky. Where did he come from? What's his family like? Did he pass A.P. Calculus in high school? We don't know. … more
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review by KevinTRod.
April 14, 2009
Contrary to what you might have been led to believe, Harvey Milk was not one of the most influential politicians who ever lived. He assumed public office in his late forties. He held that position less then a year before he was killed by a fellow politician. Truthfully, if you were to look at the biggest thing he accomplished, it would be that he got people to start picking up their pets droppings in public. Yes, the biggest law he helped get pasted involved poop. So if this was his greatest claim … more
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review by Steveo.
April 11, 2009
Sean Penn does it again and easily delivers one of his best performances bringing to life a character and a man we no longer have, and may never see again. This is a cast filled with genuine legends like Penn & Brolin, and up and coming megastars such as Emile Hirsch and James Franco. Each and every cast member seems to give it their all in keeping loyal to their played roles character in order to play an honest homage to this legendary figure. Gus Van Sant, is a relatively unknown Director … more
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review by S_Kay_Murphy.
March 26, 2009
I have to say honestly that when I learned Sean Penn would play Harvey Milk in this film, I had great trepidation. Don't get me wrong; I'm a huge fan of Sean Penn. Anyone who can create the character he plays in Dead Man Walking and also be the Sam of I Am Sam is just brilliant. But a gay politician??? Sean Penn?? And yet... Penn is brilliant once again. One of the great aspects of this tightly woven drama is the interspersing of real, not re-created, … more
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review by ms2187.
April 23, 2009
FINALLY GOT TO SEE "MILK". I WAS 43 THAT YEAR, AND REMEMBER THE SHOOTING. BUT NOW I ALSO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE MAN AND HIS ORGANIZATION AND HIS ACHIEVEMENTS.
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tomtom13
Ranked #28
Ranked #28
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About this movie
Director Gus Van Sant brings to the screen the epic journey of one man and the start of a movement. Written by Dustin Lance Black the story of Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected official, a San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated, on November 27, 1978, along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone by San Francisco Supervisor Dan White.
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Director:
Gus Van Sant
Genre:
Drama
Release Date:
November 26, 2008
MPAA Rating:
R
DVD Release Date:
March 10, 2009
Runtime:
2hrs. 8min.
Studio:
Focus Features
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