You should drink this Milk

Rating: 8/10 (13 December 2008)

Make no mistake: With Milk, the new biopic by director Gus Van Sant and starring Sean Penn in the lead role as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office, Penn has proved once again what a masterful actor he is. Milk is a strong film for the most part, but Penn puts it over the top with his turn as the insurance executive turned political activist. There are many things to recommend Milk, but Penn is at the center of them all.
Opening in 1970, Milk introduces us to Harvey as he meets Scott Smith (James Franco) in New York. The two become lovers and elect to move to San Francisco and become hippies while embracing the growing openly gay culture that is alive in the city. After opening a photo shop in the Castro area and seeing the prejudice that homosexuals face, Milk becomes a political activist and runs for city supervisor. After losing the race multiple times, Milk manages to pull a coup when the city's districts are remade and finds himself elected to office.
At the same time as Harvey is assuming his new responsibilities, there is a significant anti-gay fervor that seems to be sweeping the country, led by religious activist Anita Bryant, championing legislature in several counties and cities in the US that strips gays of their civil rights. To combat these efforts, Harvey continues to assemble his followers into a powerful political force. However, closer to home, Harvey is challenged by a fellow city supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin), who is struggling with personal demons that will prove to be tragic.
Milk is a relatively straightforward biographical film, not really deviating from what we would expect for this kind of picture. That, however, does not detract from it's overall success. Milk is an affecting film, dealing with the issues of discrimination and intolerance and showing that sometimes, one man can make a difference. Of course, the centerpiece is Penn as Milk. During the film's end credits, Van Sant shows a clip of Penn as Milk that dissolves to the real Milk, and the mannerisms blend seamlessly. Penn fully embodies the character, creating a man who was serious about his activism, but yet approached most everything with a somewhat lighthearted touch. You believe in Penn as Milk completely, and it is difficult to imagine that Penn won't receive yet another nod from the Academy for his performance early next year.
Van Sant also touches on issues of political power, showing how individuals can be organized to push a movement, against all odds, but he doesn't shy away from the sometimes less pleasant aspects of politics, hinting at the corruption of power and the willingness of politicians to bend their word to get what they want. The film also deals with what Harvey gives up in his personal life to gain his political goals, seeing more than one lover leave because of their inability to take second place in Harvey's life to the movement he devotes himself to. In some ways, Milk is a tragic story.
As the troubled Dan White, Josh Brolin delivers an understated performance of a man trapped by times and things he can't completely understand, and the film also suggests that he may have been homosexual himself and has buried that aspect of himself under a "cloak" of normalcy. In many of the scenes between Harvey and White there is almost an air of sexual tension that gives greater credence to the actions of White later in the picture. Emile Hirsch gives a strong performance as Cleave Jones, who starts out as a man just looking for a good time to someone who begins to believe in the cause as much as Harvey. Franco is also good as long suffering lover Scott, who is unable to cope with Harvey's focus on the movement and the toll it takes on their relationship. Diego Luna is amusing at times as Jack, someone Harvey takes in, but the part proves a bit underwritten.
Milk delivers an affecting and involving story of the fight against injustice and the man who was it's spark, which is all the strong due to Penn's outstanding performance. After two hours in the theater, you will believe you have met and spent time with Harvey Milk.