Filmed on location in San Francisco, Milk is Gus Van Sant's account of the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA, who was assassinated by another politician. Sean Penn (in an Oscar winning performance) plays the titular character Harvey Milk, with Josh Brolin and Emile Hersch slotting into the other main roles. Harvey Milk's life has been the subject of an Oscar winning documentary, but this is the first time his story has been fictionalised. It should be accurate however, with many of his friends and colleagues appearing on camera.
I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
This was always going to be good – it's got Sean Penn (Dead Man Walking) in it and director Van Sant is a master of both arty indies (like Paranoid Park) and more commercial fayre (Good Will Hunting). But it's better than good – it's awesome.
It's not easy to tell a story with a known ending (the film starts with Harvey Milk's death, then skips back) and keep people riveted, but through impeccable characterization and powerhouse acting you feel so involved with these people that by the end you're almost in denial about how it will turn out. All of this plays out with beautiful period-evocative production and cinematography too (by Harris Savides, who was DoP on David Fincher's Zodiac).
While Penn's performance is the truly immaculate centrepiece, the supporting cast are no passengers – Hirsch, Luna and Franco are fully believable as Milk's variously camp gang. Meanwhile, Josh Brolin (as Milk's rival Dan White) seethingly snowballs from diplomatic geniality to murderous ire as his power is undermined. At the tragic climax he's quietly terrifying – it's a real edge-of-your-seat moment to cap off a film filled with passion, politics, humour and heartbreak.
Not just a meticulously crafted tale, Milk is a reminder of how involving – and how important – cinema can be, a fictionalised biopic that feels documentary accurate. Give these people some Oscars.
By Ashley Bird, Flicks.co.nz
Being a gay man, this movie really appealed to me in so many ways. Finally a movie standing up for our rights, as i snuggle with my man and watch this i firmly believe gays will take over the world..bravo
One of the best movies I have seen lately. Brilliant use of mixing the old with the new. Such good direction and great acting. Sean Penn truly is one of the greats. Well worth it.
the acting and directing was undoubtably good. However, the telling of an historic shift in public policy and attitude was undermined by excessive flaunting of homosexual exhibitionists. An opportunity lost.
I thought this was brilliantly acted and Sean deserved his award at the oscars. Loved how it was told and how strong the cast where,
ITS ARTSY WITHOUT BEING BORING, DEEP WITHOUT BEING OBVIOUS, ENDEARING WITHOUT BEING IN YOUR FACE. THIS FILM IS AWESOME ALL THE LINKS ARE CONNECTED, FROM ACTING, TO SCREENPLAY IT ALL WORKS. IT WILL BE THOSE FILMS THAT STUDENTS WILL STUDY IN ENGLISH. AMAZING!
Sean Penn never tries to show Harvey Milk as a hero, and never needs to. He shows him as an ordinary man, kind, funny, flawed, shrewd, idealistic, yearning for a better world.
Milk thoroughly deserves all of the press ink that will doubtless be spilt over it. Wear your 'Vote Penn' Oscar pin with pride.
The film is superbly crafted, covering huge amounts of time, people and the zeitgeist without a moment of lapsed energy or inattention to detail.
There's nothing terribly wrong with Milk, it's just that its celebration of a culture and a neighborhood, its valentine to the early days of gay rights activism, is mostly more conventional than compelling.
Harvey Milk was an intriguing, inspiring figure. Milk is a marvel.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 5th Feb 2009.
Release date: February 5th 2009.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
