Milk: Movie Review

Milk: Movie Review

Rating 8/10
Cast: Sean Penn, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin
Director: Gus Van Sant
"My Name is Harvey Milk - and I want to recruit you."
Based on the life of American gay politician Harvey Milk, Gus Van Sant's latest is a compelling look into American political life during the 1970s, with a brilliant central performance by Sean Penn.
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California - but unsurprisingly, his rise to power was not an easy one.
As it opens, Milk is about to turn 40 and is picking up his much younger lover Scott Smith in a subway station.
But unsatisfied with his way of life, both Milk and Smith relocate to San Francisco hoping to find happiness as well as a greater tolerance for their relationship.
On their arrival there, they promptly open the Castro Camera a shop which becomes a regular hang out for a community which feels persecuted by bigotry and intolerance.
And that's the springboard which sees Milk catapulted into the idea of a political life.
However, Harvey soon learns the road to political acceptance is a rocky one - and comes at an extremely high personal cost.
Milk is an inspiring piece of film-making; some may find it bittersweet given what's happened in California with the anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 - which parallels the anti gay rights Proposition 6 which is explored in the film.
Sean Penn is mesmerizing as Harvey Milk - and it's a performance which has rightly been recognized by an Oscar nomination - but it's James Franco's performance as Scott Smith which is the best of the film.
He's clearly Milk's soul mate, his grounding presence during the election campaigns show Milk where his priorities should lie.
Van Sant's done a commendable job of recreating 70s era San Francisco as well as pushing Milk's central message that you have to give people hope.
Josh Brolin is also quite brooding as Supervisor Dan White; his role as Milk's supporter on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is a relationship fraught with tension.
White's clearly slightly uncomfortable with Milk's open character - and there's plenty of insinuation during the film that White himself was a closeted gay man - and his feelings of betrayal towards the end of the film spark the explosion which brought Milk's career to a premature end.
It's a timely release for Milk - last year saw the 30th anniversary of his assassination - but the fact it's getting accolades may leave a sour taste in some people's mouths.
Ultimately, Milk rises on the performances of Sean Penn and James Franco - you'll be hard pressed to leave the cinema feeling anything less than emotional after the end shot of thousands supporting the candlelit vigil for Milk.

However, what they're clearly commemorating is the opening of acceptance that Milk's position in power gave them - and that hope springs eternal.