MILK

It's a good movie, but not as stirring as I'd hoped it would be, maybe because it tried a little bit too hard, in the end. Like most biopics, I'm glad I saw it, but I probably won't ever see it again.

A lot of people have been saying Milk is the MLK of the gay community. I think Harvey Milk was more like Obama. He was a grassroots community organizer who had a knack for bringing competing teams together for his cause... Who knows where his story might have taken him?

The film was shot beautifully, as Gus Van Sant does well every time. It's bright slightly overexposed 70's photo-look lent perfectly to the sense of that time and place. Everyone is decent in their roles, with the exception of Emile Hirsch....I'll get to him later, but Sean Penn and Josh Brolin are stand-outs. Brolin BETTER get something this year, dammit.

It is a little annoying that no 'out' actors could be found to play any of the major roles in this film... And that's especially ironic given one of Milk's political tactics.

Overrall, I think this is a film that needs to be shown in high schools. If only our culture weren't so afraid of TEHGAYSECKS!! and sex, period, for that matter.

One of the biggest steps in the black community's struggle for equal rights, has been the slow uphill battle of letting the "rest of the country" see us as the diverse people we are and not the spooky boogiemen they imagine.

Sidney Poitier was a definite stop on the road to Obama.

More Ennis del Mar' s and Harvey Milk's need to be seen, hopefully played by a Sir Ian McKellen, next time.


PARENTS: Every teen should see it for history and empathy's sake.


P.S. On Prop 8.

It was Prop 6, in the film. Milk did something that was not done this time around. He recruited everybody. He never assumed support. He recruited vets, the elderly, black people, teamsters, whoever it took. He didn't take anyone's support for granted and then use his inaction as a justification for racism. He and his all-white campaign team went. after. EVERYBODY.

Folks have been wondering what kind of impact this film might have had, had it opened before the vote was on the ballots.

I'm hoping people would have at least, taken that lesson away.


P.P.S. Oh! I almost forgot Emile. Ehh, he just doesn't do it for me as an actor. I think he's overrated and just plain awful. Here, he had a spotlight moment that just had me rolling my eyes, thinking a kid in a high school play could do better. He also came off to me like he was "acting" gay and that's annoying.


P.P.P.S. Remember that thing I was saying about "the rest of the country" needing to see diverse people like themselves and not spooky boogiemen?