Milk

I did not see "Milk" in theaters. I don't know why... I had a weird falling-out with theater-going while that was in wide release. But thank God for Netflix.

Let's make no bones about it: this is Sean Penn's greatest performance. I really like Dead Man Walking, but Penn is a bit brooding for my taste in that film. And not only is Sean Penn beyond reproach in this film, but the supporting cast is as well. Diego Luna, James Franco (who at this point can do no wrong in my eyes), Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, et al. Awesome, just awesome.

Can I further praise Gus Van Sant's direction? A deft little turn for him. He toned down the effective atmospherics from Paranoid Park and Elephant to simply tell this story the way it happened.

Which brings me to the highest praise I can give this film: It pulls no punches. Harvey Milk was a consumate politician. We see him logrolling, backstabbing, etc. The most telling scene is after a momentous vote against Gay Rights, Milk has one of his inner circle incite the residents of the Castro District to riot, so that conveniently he can appear and become Harvey Milk, the Peacemaker.

Really, a great film all around, among the best political biopics around. A-