Towards the end of the year it's not surprising to see the number of decent flicks in theaters dwindle. However, 2008 has a nice little spread of films to suit most anybody's needs. In the mood for a touchy feely movie you can take the whole family to see? Check out Marley & Me. What if you're leaning more toward shit blowing up, guns, and cleavage galore? Frank Miller's The Spirit has got you covered. How 'bout something for the indie lover? Check out Frost/Nixon or Milk, two historically centered flicks highlighting the political climates of the past helmed by two very accomplished directors: Ron "don't you dare call me 'ginger'" Howard and Gus "bitch, I made Good Will Hunting" Van Sant, respectively. As you might have guessed by now, I happened to catch Van Sant's Milk before hightailing it out of New England for a more optimal climate (read: California).Milk is a wonderful biopic about the life and times of one Harvey Milk (played by Sean "Spicoli" Penn), the first openly gay elected public official who held office in San Francisco's Castro District in 1978 until his assassination (sorry if I ruined the ending of the movie there, but come on, it's history people) along with Mayor George Moscone. The movie begins with Harvey relaying his experiences as a gay citizen, public official hopeful, and finally as a powerful symbol of human rights to a tape recorder, a lovely storytelling device that holds this flick together, especially when Gus' flick needs some roping in. But I'll get to that a little later... The movie transitions relatively smoothly from past to present, giving us a nice deep look at Harvey's motivations for putting himself in the limelight, making himself a target for praise and condemnation.
The cast is rounded out by James "Fuck Jeff Goldblum" Franco, Emile "I made out with Elisha Cuthbert" Hirsch, Diego "why did I make Havana Nights?" Luna, and Josh "I've come a long way since Hollow Man" Brolin. The supporting characters in this movie are fleshed out perfectly, complimenting and accentuating Harvey Milk's down-to-earth, "why can't we all just get along?" rationale, although I must say Diego Luna's portrayal of Harvey's Spanish lover inadvertently made me forever hate his whiny bitch of a soul. I digress. The acting in this movie is superb and despite the obvious amount of artistic freedom taken with the historical parts of the film, you really do feel like you're privy to the most private of moments in these characters' lives. The acting is a little too good, one might say. Milk is an emotional rollercoaster and I wouldn't be surprised if the usual moviegoer lets loose some waterworks throughout the movie. Just be happy it wasn't a cute cuddly dog with a red bow making you cry like a little girl with a scraped knee (although that's completely acceptable too, you big man baby you).
Although I enjoyed Gus Van Sant's film very much, I did have a few problems with it. Throughout the movie, Gus likes to utilize normal film stock, found footage from 1978, and mock-footage that's either filtered or filmed with super grainy high speed film in black and white. This accomplishes a nice effect, although Gus cuts from each film type in a very haphazard manner, making for a confusing experience. Perhaps this is supposed to blur the line between timeframes or between Harvey's political and personal life, but it does throw off the spectator more than a few times. Nonetheless, I did embrace the theme of documentation that flows underneath Sean Penn's performance: from beginning to end, this movie is all about recording one's ideals whether this happens in the form of a public identity, personal tape recordings, photography, and so on and so forth. Maybe it was by accident, by I'm willing to give Gus the benefit of the doubt.
I've always been a fan of Gus's flicks and he hasn't let me down this time. If you're looking for a nice little foray out of the typical popcorn movie lineup, check this film out. And with that...
1. Does eating too much junk food really make you go crazy?
2. Who would be a better Harvey Milk: Robin Williams or Sean Penn? [Robin Williams was originally attached to the lead...fyi]
3. Is Sarah Palin the new Anita Bryant?
P.S. Gus Van Sant's Milk is up for a Golden Globe for Best Actor. Best of luck Mr. Penn.
