The obvious oddity about MILK is that, in many ways, it is Gus Van Sant's least mainstream story since his other major gay-themed film, "My Own Private Idaho," and yet, at the same time, it is by far his most conventionally-directed and mainstream film.
Maybe that's the point, as Harvey Milk was a courageous man and should be honored as a human rights activist by the "mainstream" and not sidelined as the infamous Proposition 6 intended in the 1970s.
It is impossible to watch MILK without wondering if it should have been released before last month's election in some attempt to defeat Proposition 8, which passed. One would think this would have been a good idea -- to make this film about an activist into a message of current activism. And yet, for me, the delay of this film until the aftermath of what amounts to a civil rights defeat in 2008 California in the eyes of many further cements in my mind that MILK doesn't have ENOUGH of an activist's edge.
It simply comes off as a very standard bio-pic that tries a little harder to mainstream gay rights than it does galvanize audiences in respect of Harvey Milk himself, who comes off as no mythical hero here. (Again, given Van Sant's talents, this might have been the intent, too.)
Sean Penn is magnetic here...it was weird to see him smile so much! He will get an Oscar nomination for this and he will have deserved it.
But the film itself is just good. It's not great. Harvey Milk himself was great. I suspect that those who are going ga-ga over this movie are confusing the two.
3.0 out of 4
Maybe that's the point, as Harvey Milk was a courageous man and should be honored as a human rights activist by the "mainstream" and not sidelined as the infamous Proposition 6 intended in the 1970s.
It is impossible to watch MILK without wondering if it should have been released before last month's election in some attempt to defeat Proposition 8, which passed. One would think this would have been a good idea -- to make this film about an activist into a message of current activism. And yet, for me, the delay of this film until the aftermath of what amounts to a civil rights defeat in 2008 California in the eyes of many further cements in my mind that MILK doesn't have ENOUGH of an activist's edge.
It simply comes off as a very standard bio-pic that tries a little harder to mainstream gay rights than it does galvanize audiences in respect of Harvey Milk himself, who comes off as no mythical hero here. (Again, given Van Sant's talents, this might have been the intent, too.)
Sean Penn is magnetic here...it was weird to see him smile so much! He will get an Oscar nomination for this and he will have deserved it.
But the film itself is just good. It's not great. Harvey Milk himself was great. I suspect that those who are going ga-ga over this movie are confusing the two.
3.0 out of 4
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