Milk: Review [took me long enough...]

It took me long enough didn't it? About 2 weeks removed from watching this movie there were about 2 'other' reviews typed, but fell prey to my 'edit-friendly' fingers. What you should know:

• I will be criticizing this movie under the pretense that you, the reader, already know that this movie is above average [its amazing].
• Seeing as I have already written two 'over a 1000 word' reviews, this will be a more condensed version that gets to the essentials of content and quality in this movie.

Prior to this movie's release, I had misgivings about how Harvey Milk's story would be treated in the hands of Gus Van Sant. Coming from an art background, working at a video store and moreover being knee deep in the middle of the art community here in Ohio, having several of his movies suggested to you is more common than cold weather. Subsequently, it took a while to be excited or hyped to see Milk and after enduring Van Sant's last 'boyfest' in Paranoid Park; I was more than willing to drag my feet. If there was any movie to question Van Sant's love for filming young boys with their shirts off Paranoid Park was the film to exercise that thought.

I was more than surprised when the credits rolled after the viewing and I had an emotional response to the movie. I wanted to see more. To expound, it was not surprising that Sean Penn delivered [i think] the performance of his life, or James Franco solidifying his status as an actor to take seriously. I was surprised that Van Sant was actually able to use all of these very capable actors to their fullest potentials. Unlike Paranoid Park, where the movie; for all intensive purposes, 'just looks good'. Milk has actual feeling and emotion with very simple shot selections.

Technically, Milk is Van Sant's highest benchmark since Good Will Hunting or better yet My Own Private Idaho. In one scene he can use a simple wide angle setup to show Milk quelling a massive gay San Franciscan crowd. In another shot he can show the horrors of a riot between disgruntled cops and that same crowd, with Milk's account to an officer through the reflection of a blood splattered whistle. He uses so many angles to the point you are wondering if he is creating a camera for a specific shot.

James Franco and Josh Brolin, what a year these guys have had! It amazes me that Franco was nominated for his performance in Pineapple Express and not this movie. Brolin who plays Dan White, delivered a more than solid performance, but it seems like his character's 'downward spiral' was kind of sped up nearing the 2 hour mark of the movie. Franco as the longtime lover of Harvey Milk, Scott Smith, had so much depth and yet within the movie you knew very little about the character. The relationship depicted in this movie succeeds where a movie like Brokeback Mountain failed. Hopefully the Academy will take similar thoughts into consideration.

The movie should be regarded as a masterpiece on the whole. However, the flaws [and this is where we split hairs] within this are from a couple over-the-top performances and voyeuristic direction. Emile Hirsch will also have some sort of 'Ledger/Franco' title dawned on him in the next couple years [given we don't get another Speed Racer]. His character, Cleve Jones is probably one of the most irksome characters within this movie...well...second only to Diego Luna's character Jack Lira. It should be stated, Hirsch as an ex-male prostitute at the beginning of Milk is the most grating; after about an hour and a half of character development he really grows on you. Luna as Harvey's newest lover Jack Lira was one performance that fell flat for me. Had it not been for this performance and a fine-tuned manner of showing Brolin's descent into madness this would have 'probably' been my favorite movie of the year[made my top 5 list].

As I've mentioned before, the movie does have its share of 'Van Sant-isms', but 1) they are kept to a minimum and 2) if you are unfamiliar with them, you probably would not notice. If you have not seen this movie...shame on you. Out of all the crap movie goers waste money on; out of all of the complaining film aficionados do throughout the year, why not plunk down some change and see one of the best movies of the year about a pretty damn influential person?

I give this movie...

The right to be married anywhere.