Just another bio-flick.

Rating: 7/10 (26 December 2008)

I recently saw a screener of this movie and was very excited about it cause I'm usually very fond of Sean Penn's work and very intrigued by Van Sant's to say the least.
In general, I liked it. It has roughly everything a bio-flick is supposed to have and it tries to stay on the personal side of the story while it portrays the bigger issue which is that of the gay rights and freedom. Wheather it managed this I guess it's a matter of personal opinion and of what's more important to the individual viewer. Myself, although I'm totally for the equality of rights and freedom of individuals or groups, I wanted a little more personal touch and a deeper dig into Milk's life and character. It only felt like I didn't get to know him properly and understand why he did some or most of the things that he did even though I could see exactly where he was coming from, facing some of those same issues myself. This obviously is a shortcoming of the script or the final editing which might have left out many things. Still, the story in general feels almost complete and acceptable. It managed to touch me deeply and even make me cry by the end.
In relation to the acting, I don't think there's anything to complain about. Everyone was very good or even better than good, but I wouldn't start handing out Oscars just yet. Sean Penn was very good but to be honest he did nothing that we haven't seen yet. It seems to me that this role was a very obvious attempt to land him another Academy Award or a nomination at least but I for once won't be convinced so easily. It has become like the latest craze to have straight actors play gay people and then applaud and award them for the "magnificient performance" and the "accurate and very real" portrayal of the faggot. But in my opinion that's the easiest part; everyone can play the faggot. How about having a real gay actor play Milk's role, or that of the boyfriend, or that of the other gay people in this movie? It irritates me that even Van Sant - a director who for years now has fabulously brought the gay world more out of the closet than anyone else, - falls prey to one of the biggest paradoxes out there, that of the Hollywood - maybe the most important and leading institute to proclaim and sustain gay rights and yet the most homophobic yet. Just ask yourselves, how many openly gay actors do you know that are still very successful and have a very high profiled career still going strong? Van Sant (or the production company) clearly and easily could have used (at least more) gay actors in this cast, but I guess that would turn it into a gay movie and of course it wouldn't sell.
So please forgive me if I don't applaud Penn or Franco for their sincere acting, or nominate any of the cast & crew for an award, cause in the end this movie is just another silly paradox to me.
7 out of 10 for the effort and cinematic value. A good movie but still nothing new artistically speaking.