Wonderfully-made and inspiring

Rating: 10/10 (1 December 2008)

"Milk" is so good that immediately after it was over, I wanted to stay in the theater and watch the whole thing again. I went into the movie with high expectations, and, while it took me a little bit to get used to the movie's fast pace, I wasn't disappointed.
I spent months before the film's release reading about Harvey Milk, and while "Milk" shifts a few facts (example: he met Scott on his forty-first birthday, not his fortieth, and by then he was already a hippie who hadn't worked in insurance for the last few years) and simplifies others (in the interest of time, his connection with the Peoples Temple is completely skipped), it's true to the essence of the man who went from being a semi-closeted New Yorker, with few accomplishments to his name, to the first openly gay man elected to public office in America. The acting is uniformly excellent and there's no sense that the filmmakers are trying to make anyone a pure hero or a pure villain, even the unbalanced-yet-pitiable Dan White.
Sean Penn portrays Harvey Milk as a genuinely kind and good-humored man who sometimes lets his newfound goals and ambitions take priority over his personal relationships; James Franco is quietly devoted as Scott Smith, Harvey's boyfriend who leaves him when he grows tired of the endless campaigning but is still always there when Harvey needs him. Perhaps one of the most fun performances to watch is Emile Hirsch as Cleve Jones, who begins the film as a bratty part-time prostitute but evolves into a tireless activist who, we can tell, is going to be the one to pick up where Harvey left off. Diego Luna plays Jack Lira, Harvey's sexy yet clearly disturbed post-Scott boyfriend, and Josh Brolin is surprisingly sympathetic as Dan White, Harvey's Board of Supervisors colleague who will seek Harvey's friendship despite a personal opposition to homosexuality, feel an overwhelming sense of betrayal when Harvey votes against him on his pet project, and eventually kill him out of envy and revenge. Alison Pill, Joseph Cross, and Lucas Grabeel are among the actors who play Harvey's campaign workers; one of the things that makes this movie enjoyable is the sense of camaraderie among Harvey's friends and supporters. You wish you could go over to Castro Camera and hang out with them yourself.
Harvey is so likable as a character that I spent a large portion of this movie smiling just watching him. He's charming, funny, and gives everyone a fair chance; while his friends dismiss Dan White, Harvey insists that Dan "will be fine" and can be educated. At the same time, he's definitely flawed, with a sometimes questionable taste in men (none of his friends can understand why he stays with Jack, who drinks too much and has temper tantrums) and a willingness at times to trample people's feelings in the name of the greater good. There's a scene where he decides that all his campaign workers have to come out immediately, including a young man named Dick Pabich, who Harvey insists has to call his father this very minute even though Dick looks as though he'd rather hide under a rock. It may be his decision to ignore Dan White's feelings that seals his fate.
While the movie never excuses Dan's actions, we understand his frustration and rage. He takes a huge step out of his comfort zone to try to be Harvey's friend (there are hints that he subconsciously wishes their relationship went beyond friendship, but this is never presented as a certainty, only a possibility) and is personally hurt when the courtesy he extends to Harvey isn't reciprocated. He has no friends on the Board of Supervisors and is struggling to support a wife and baby on a tiny salary. While he can't get one single thing he wants, Harvey's becoming a media superstar.
Even after they've broken up, Harvey and Scott have one of the sweetest gay relationships I've seen in any movie. The chemistry is strong from the moment a nervous-yet-charismatic Harvey picks up Scott, a cute hippie, in a subway station on his fortieth birthday, and every time they kiss, hug, make love, or even just talk as Harvey makes dinner, we can tell they're crazy about each other. When Scott leaves we want Harvey to get him back or die trying, and after they break up we keep hoping they're going to reconcile.
I've spent most of this review talking about the interpersonal relationships, as opposed to the gay rights element, because they're so essential to the story, but the gay rights element is also excellently-done and inspiring. Watching the various protests and marches is exciting, and it's fun seeing Harvey debate anti-gay crusaders until their logic collapses on itself. Despite various tragedies, the final feeling the film leaves you with is one of hope - which, I think, is how Harvey would have wanted it. Definitely see this one.