Another failed attempt

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2009)

This film isn't terrible. In fact it is a good film but I am still waiting for a film that does justice to the problem of homophobia and also shows that homosexuality is entirely normal. I thought that 'Brokeback Mountain' was dreadfully padded out by the unreliable and overrated Ang Lee and my problem with this film is that it doesn't do justice to the story of Harvey Milk and the fault lies with Dustin Lance Black the screenwriter and Gus Van Sant the director. Now both did decent jobs but I would have liked to see cinematic vision from both. This is an important story to be told but it is told in such a dry, conventional manner. This is a film which calls for a wide-scope and while it can be up-close and personal to the man himself which it does successfully more due to the skill of Sean Penn than anyone else but even though it is up-close and personal there needed to be a wider scope to truly understand the cultural relevance of a man like Harvey Milk. Gus Van Sant has taken risks with films like 'Elephant' and I wanted to see him experimenting here but instead I received a rather conventional almost gutless one. The dialogue is wonderful and witty on a high note and the performances are exceptional from the likes of Josh Brolin, James Franco (is very good at dramatic roles) and of course Sean Penn. His performance is exceptional and captures the man's spirit. I wouldn't have given him the Oscar on the point that it was a bit of an imitation more than an inhabitance of the character but I wouldn't give it to Mickey Rourke for 'The Wrestler.' For me the award should have gone to Leonardo DiCaprio for 'Revolutionary Road' who wasn't even nominated. As Harvey Milk says in the film and as I says in terms of films dealing with homosexuality 'there is still work to be done!'