Milk

Published on January 27, 2009 at BerkleeGroove.com

Milk, the best film I saw in 2008, is about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to U.S. public office. Gus Van Sant’s biopic brilliantly explores how Milk’s broader political power emanated from his personal charisma and ability to bring people together on an intimate level. Sean Penn creates a full-bodied portrayal of the dynamic leader. The performance is not a jack-in-the-box of spastic actor-ly mannerisms, but a real human being, understood from the inside. He does not shy away from Milk’s sensuality, and the sexual frankness of the overall film is certainly daring for a mainstream Oscar contender. The supporting performances are also dynamite: Josh Brolin is alternately sweet and sinister as Milk’s nemesis Dan White, and Emile Hirsch shows energy and comedic talent as a young Cleve Jones, now a prominent gay activist.