Milk Gets My Vote

Nathanial Rogers called it "unapologetically gay". Yes, yes and yes indeedy. And it's not as if we've never seen "gay" movies before. But here's a movie that is Queer as a 3 dollar bill...and a slick, attractive mainstream movie to boot. At least, for the most part anyway. Every now and then director Van Sant throws in a little burst of something that screams independent movie, just to make sure we don't forget where Milk actually comes from!  

The film is not without flaws. I personally wished I could have gotten to know James Franco's "Scotty" better. It's tough, because I know that the "girlfriend" or "wife" role is usually relegated to being a plot device, or someone to react to or provoke the leading man. But even given those parameters, I need a peek of who this person is when they are not with the protagonist.  More then any of the others...I wanted to know Scott better.  It was important to me to see why Harvey loved him...beside the fact that he was James Franco. 

This is my biggest complaint with Milk. Who the hell are all these fantastic gay people hovering around? I got no real information from anyone of them. Emile Hirsch...he's good, but he never has opportunity to go beyond impersonation. Diego Luna, he was good, but he always seemed on the edge of being a caricature.  And what about Alison Pill as Anne Kronenberg?  She must have had some big balls...but I only know that because Harvey told me that 2 seconds after she walked into the film.  

Okay...so, now I sound nit-picky and I don't mean to be.  And I did get a decent look at the other most important guy in the story...Dan White.  Josh Brolin gave me what I needed, in his small portion of screen time, to latch onto his Irish-Catholic Guilt ridden Latent Homosexual Narcissist with Anger management and mommy issues.  Twinkie defense my ass!  This guy was a real gem.  A therapist's wet dream.  

As for Harvey Milk himself.  Well, there is no denying that Penn is brilliant.  For a few moments at the beginning of the film, I got a little worried.  It seemed like he was over playing the "gay" and trying a bit too hard.  Everytime he kissed Franco it seemed more like he wanted to prove he wasn't uncomfortable, rather then because he couldn't not kiss him.  You know?  It's like, my favorite moment in Brokeback Mountain...when Ennis and Jack see each other after however long it's been and they just can't not kiss each other.  That liplock under the stairs....wow!!  We've all been there before!

But, Penn's performance in the second and particularly the third act of the film was, well, breath taking.  That last phone call from Scott.  Oy...pain!  Penn's face says it all.  I didn't even hear the dialogue...who needed it?

The ending was quite moving.  It was the first time I cried at a movie this year.  Of course it was designed to manipulate my tears...and I say, well done!

This film is a lock.  It gets my vote over Slumdog Millionaire as well. There is no doubt Penn is getting nominated.  Frank Langella is the only person who can beat him in my opinion.  Brolin deserves to be nominated as well.  But, I have to say, the other performances are just not full bodied enough for consideration.  Just because you are in a great film should not mean you are automatically considered.  Just because you are in a shitty movie should not exclude you if you were great!  Okay?  If Hirsch or Franco get a nomination over Michael Shannon...then we know something is terribly wrong!

This movie is the right movie at the right time.  Let's not forget the fight that still needs to be put up to overturn Prop 8!!  It is unconstitutional and should never have been on the ballot to begin with.  Keep on raising hell.  What would the world be like today without the hell raisers?  Martin, Malcolm, Gloria, Ghandi and Harvey Milk.