My name is Harvey Milk...

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2010)

It is my first time reviewing a movie, and I'm so excited. Of course, there are countless movies I could write about, but the first one that popped into my mind was "Milk". This is easily one of my favorite movies because of the overall message of it. This is a movie with an actual moral, something many other movies don't. It is telling us to stand up for what we believe in, and not to let others affect our personal beliefs. The first time I watched this movie, I was blown away. The performances by Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, Alison Pill, etc. were brilliant and really helped the audience feel the mood of '70s San Fransisco. The second time I watched it, I began noticing the script and how the dialogue is perfect. I just about cried at the end, but you just have to watch it yourself to understand why. Well-deserved Oscars were earned for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay that year, and if it wasn't released in the same year as "Slumdog Millionaire", it would've taken home Best Picture and Best Director. I feel like this is, by far, Gus Van Sant's best work, only to be rivaled by "Good Will Hunting". This is the best movie of 2008, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys, not watching, but experiencing the life of Harvey Milk and co.