San Francisco Story....

Rating: 10/10 (13 December 2008)

....that will resonate with the world. Sean Penn channels Harvey Milk beautifully and charismatically starting from 1970 all the way through 1978. Early black-and-white (actual) scenes of police carting out gay bar patrons to jail set the tone for director Gus Van Sant's best work. It's the seamless branching of archival 1970s footage with new photography that truly takes you back over 30 years to a different time and place, lovingly realized here. We see a brief early shot of Dianne Feinstein announce shocking news, as well as Anita Bryant's continued pitch to take away gay rights. Can't add much to the other reviewers comments on the superb supporting cast, but I was really taken by Diego Luna as one of Milk's last lovers, Jack Lira. Of Mexican heritage, he was beaten by his father, and Luna transcends with a mighty characterization of insecurities, heartbreak and devastation. Last part of the film becomes increasingly nerve-wracking and ultimately extremely moving, even to the end credits with the cast/real counterpart images and captions, set to an evocative musical score. A thought-provoking piece that will haunt you for many days.