Great acting but not a great film.

Rating: 7/10 (31 January 2009)

Up until a few months ago i had never heard of the Name Harvey Milk. There is no reason why i should have done really and it's only the release of this film that had brought his name to my attention. To be honest a movie with this subject matter would not be first on my list but being a big fan of Sean Penn and Josh Brolin and it being nominated for eight Oscars i had to see what all the fuss was about.
From the acclaimed director Gus Van Sant comes the powerful and inspiring story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. With a powerhouse performance in the leading role, Sean Penn and supporting cast Emile Hirsch , Josh Brolin and James Franco bring this unforgettable story to the big screen.
In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978..
Apparently there were many actors lined up over the years to play the role of Harvey Milk. Robin Williams , Richard Gere , Daniel Day-Lewis and James Woods. I can see Daniel Day-Lewis in the role but can you imagine any of the others? Sean Penn IS Harvey Milk and without him in the lead role i couldn't imagine this film even getting even a mention in the build up to next months academy awards.
It would have been easy to cast openly gay actors in the lead roles in this film and i think it's because director Gus Van Sant didn't , that gives this film more gravitas. I did feel a little uncomfortable watching some of the more intimate scenes involving Sean Penn and James Franco so i can only imagine how hard it was for these two actors to perform the scenes.
Of all the nominations Milk has received it's the acting ones that it deserves most. Sean Penn is stunning and it's the acting in this film will remain with me , not the film itself.
As a film , Milk is OK . It's not as good as i would have hoped considering the publicity it has received. I would have loved to have learned more about Dan White. Josh Brolin is not on screen enough for me but when he is , he was fantastic. I would have like the director to have delved into the mind of Harvey Milk's assassin and maybe the assassination itself given some more scenes.
I loved the old newsreel clips that were shown and it's amazing how the word " Homosexuals" can be made to sound so dirty and poisonous by the prehistoric news readers!
I have seen two of the films nominated for best picture so far and without doubt Slumdog Millionaire is the better film but the acting in Milk is vastly superior .
I will be reviewing the other nominated film's in the next couple of weeks.
7 out of 10