Relevant - still

Rating: 8/10 (8 December 2008)

Milk is emotionally arousing, highly spirited movie about a minor politician at the forefront of a civil rights movement in the late 70s. Civil rights movies are always inspiring as the movement itself is, and this movement has to this day not come to fruition. His battle to get into office and then his battle once in office for civil rights for homosexuals will reach the depth of your heart and get you rooting for these rights. .
Penn and Hirsh's performances were the highlight. It was amusing to witness how these actors so believably capture the subtle effeminate disposition (Penn was great and Hirsh is always good but here, surprisingly unbelievable). Unfortunately, despite the way Penn truly envelops the character Harvey Milk, WE, do not become that enveloped with Milk. The character Milk still feels as though he is just on the surface. We see his determinism towards his movement and his minor quirks but we don't really know him, his hobbies, his outside interests, but most of all we don't connect with his innermost feelings nor do we permeate his soul. For this reason I would not recommend to drop everything and see it right away. The greatest movies about a character, which are primarily about the character, explore the insides of his/her personality and completely expose their beings to us. Perhaps it was the intent to make the politics and the movement the theme which happens to still be so intensely relevant in our time.