Great performances only strengthen an already powerful film

Rating: 8/10 (7 February 2009)

There is something inherently wonderful in Gus Van Sant's Milk. Besides telling the mostly true story of openly gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), the film acts as a gay rights, and more importantly, human rights, piece that feels all too appropriate for the times.
Leaving aside the homosexual bigotry we still face in 2009, it may be all too easy to see this as just another way of the Academy reaching out after the horrendous snubbing of Brokeback Mountain three years ago. That assumption is all too wrong.
Milk stands on its own as a great film. Interweaving Milk's years running for political office alongside his own recording of a final will and testament, the film employs a fairly constant narrative structure of connecting the film's footage with stock footage from the actual events. In some cases, it may even be hard to tell the difference (save for some scenes where the stock footage looks blatantly worn down and grainy). It has been done many times before, but it works especially well for this film. It brings a much needed sense of realism to the film, and an even better sense of authenticity. You would never guess that the majority of these actors were even alive in the 1970s.
Van Sant expertly uses Dustin Lance Black's original screenplay to weave the tale of Milk's final years living in San Francisco. We only learn vague notions of what his life was like before he met Scott Smith (James Franco) on his fortieth birthday. And while it may have helped flesh out Milk's backstory, the film succeeds without it. We learn enough about the man and what he did for the gay rights movement in 1970s America to appreciate and know who he was. The little tidbits we find out later on only cement the obvious feeling we get.
And Penn, whose work I very rarely enjoy, breathes a fascinating amount of life into Milk. Penn puts his heart into the role, and really plays this one from down deep. You can see the hurt in his eyes, and the awe-inspiring joy. His body expressions say more than enough; with a simple twitch in his mouth, he can rather easily change the character's entire construct. He makes the acting look so easy, but I would be hardset not believing the real man acted in a similar way. While I think Frank Langella will ultimately win the Oscar, this is Penn's strongest work in over a decade (especially more so than that overrated Oscar-winning turn in Mystic River). His visual transformation into this inspirational individual is nothing short of amazing.
Van Sant also succeeds in his use of love in the film. There are a few steamy homosexual scenes featuring Penn (none to the point of Brokeback), but they are all filmed so passionately and delicately that they look visually beautiful. In fact, the majority of this visually laden film is captured rather beautifully. Although it seems like there is particular emphasis on reflections and juxtaposition, there are some unique angles from crowd settings that help encourage the authenticity of the film even further.
Josh Brolin delivers a startling performance as Dan White. If you have read anything about Milk, then you obviously know why he is so important to the story. But Brolin downplays the character for the majority of his time on screen (albeit, his first appearance comes halfway into the film). He practically quivers under Penn's shoes. But when he finally gets his moment to start chewing scenery, Brolin delivers in spades. He practically lets loose, showing off the excellent chops put to fine use in the underrated W. and No Country for Old Men. He too, plays a lot of his performance with his facial expression, and at times, he does not even need to say a word. We can just tell exactly what is going on. The man knows exactly what buttons to push to get a reaction.
Franco, Emile Hirsch (Penn's leading man in the criminally snubbed Into the Wild) and Diego Luna all give fine performances in their roles. While I think Luna could have toned himself back a bit, I think Franco could have brought himself a little further. He too is quite important to the film, but he feels a bit too downplayed. I would have liked to see him do a bit more. Hirsch gets his moments, few and far between, and does a great job. He too could have done a bit more however, but nevertheless, his is a standout performance.
If there are any problems, it is the fact that the film stretches itself a little too far as it nears the final act. It was not boring to the point of aping the sleep-inducing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but it was not exactly being very interesting either. I realize what is being shown is important and a lot of it thought-provokingly emotional, but there was about twenty minutes that could have easily been trimmed right down. It really feels like it is going the distance, but falters on the way there.
It took a while, but it was well worth seeing Milk. Van Sant has helped craft a great piece of film-making that will surely not fade away anytime soon. While it is not clear how much of Black's screenplay is original and how much is real, the man clearly has talent and can only continue to go up from here.
Milk may not be the best of the year, but it is surely among the ranks. Even if you are not gay, the film still provokes an immediate reaction I doubt will leave me. This is powerful stuff, and exactly what this film-making medium should be striving for more often. I can only wish more films will follow its example.
8.5/10.