Milk (Movie-R)
mannybolone
Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
Looked in the archives and didn't see anyone on Strut talk about this film yet. I watched this last night and I have to say: it was easily the best film I saw out of 2008 in terms of its formal, filmmaking elements, its performances, and its general sense of inspiration. It was a remarkably, incredibly prescient film for 2008 - not just because of Prop 8 (though its dramatization of the fight against 1978's Prop 6 was an obvious, sobering parallel), but also given Obama's election and the idea that mass movements in the United States are still a possibility. But that larger backdrop aside, the performances were phenomenal, especially Sean Penn who, to me, was completely unrecognizable from any other role I've ever seen him in. While, sentimentally, I like pulling for Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler", I feel like Penn does the better "acting" job here. James Franco is very good, Emile Hirsch is great and man...Josh Brolin as Dan White was incredible too, imbuing White with a nuance that gives his character such depth beyond "the guy with the Twinkie defense." ("Milk" also further confirmed how downright trifling "Slumdog Millionaire" was. If people are looking for a "feel good" film, "Milk's" real-world message is >>>>>>> some fantasy about game shows and destiny.)
Comments
maybe today is the day. glad to hear it's worth seeing.
I need someting to watch today, the last choice of two (Savage Grace & Righteous Kill) was complete fusking garbage. Especially Righteous Kill, Deniro and Pacino at their absolete lowest. What a waste of time.
Yeah. It'll also make you nostalgic for SF of the 1970s.
It's still in theaters (I think). Def. not on DVD yet.
i see whatever "independent" movies come round these parts as i live in a small town that shows blockbusters on multiple screens and shows maybe one "film" a month.
i saw slumdog millionaire and thought it was cool, i don't know what your actual problems were with it o-dub, but i thought it was good. saw "Doubt" and besides some cringe worthy moments due to streep overacting i liked it.
saw "7 pounds" and hated it. i wanna see "The wrestler", i'm gonna go see "Notorious" tonight w/ super low expectations so it should be decent.
i saw a documentary on drag queens last time i was in n.y.c, it was really good, it was being shown at a hole in the wall theatre in the lower east side, that was maybe my favorite movie/documentary i saw last year.
peace,xavier
This movie was powerful.
*SEMI SPOILER*
One thing bothered me though. Did anyone else catch that implication that Dan White was a closet homosexual? As a native of San Francisco my boyfriend pointed it out to me, saying that he was disappointed with such a convenient hypothesis, and noting that this was never mentioned (then or now) in any book or interview on the subject. This completely flew over my head the first time we watched the movie. But I've since researched and found this.
"For the most part, the script is loyal to actual events, but there are a number of factual inaccuracies in the treatment of the story's villain. In one scene, Milk is challenged by one of his aides, who asks, "What does Dan White do for you? Really? Politically?"
Milk replies that he suspects White is "one of us" (meaning gay), and that he sympathizes with White for living "the daily lie." While it's possible that White was confused about his sexuality or was secretly homosexual ??? though there is no evidence of either ??? Milk's scripted response does not answer the aide's question of what White did for Milk."
http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-01-30/news/white-in-milk/
I did wonder how liberally "Milk" was playing with the idea that White was a closet case. It does lend itself to creating a more "complex" portrait of White in the film but personally, I thought Brolin played the character with impressively nuanced depth without needing that added element.
I saw a bootleg/pirated version like 2 months ago.....
Ha - anyone from the production end up shopping at the Merchant?
And what was it like watching Milk at the Castro?
yeah there is a screener on the torrents
I really wish that Pacino would have gotten hit by a bus in 1985 cause his work since then has almost over shadowed (in the bad sense) his outstanding 70s oeuvre.
Plus, I feel it is necessary since I moved to the Bay. I need to learn some more history of this beautiful city.
elise, if u really want a historical perspective as it related to the city, id highly recommend u watch the doc. both are great but the doc is more focused on the local impact of his life and death. and its on hulu.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/49577/the-times-of-harvey-milk
as far as the film's allusion to dan white as a closeted dude, i mean, i think that argument is tired. sure, its useful to difuse homophobia by accusing a homophobe of gay tendencies, but i just dont think its as true as folks believe. its a great tactic, but i just dont believe its based in any kind of truth.
im biased but the best movie i saw this year was this.
http://www.troublethewaterfilm.com/
I have to agree with you, though the fact that it's a true life documentary gives it crazy advantage over the rest.
That reminds me...the Black Kold Madina CD I ordered hasn't shown up yet!