On the way home after seeing Milk, I was struck first by how well-composed this film was, how it struck the perfect tone. Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn told me the story of a man I knew next to nothing about, and did so in a way that balanced exuberance and restraint in a way that seemed to mirror Harvey Milk’s personality. During the same trip home, I was also struck by the sad recognition that there are some people who will find the unapologetic telling of 
this story too discomfiting to watch, showing that despite the tremendous progress that has been made toward the ideal of tolerance, we are still faced with fear and ignorance (qualities that exist independent of malice). Early in Milk’s unlikely political career, he has an idealistic standoff with a successful local businessman who, despite being gay, would rather Milk not rock the boat quite so much during his campaigns. Likewise, I found myself wondering if the lesson of Milk’s life and death could have reached a broader audience through a film with less sex and intimacy. But thankfully Harvey Milk didn’t listen to the conservative gay establishment that wished to mute his message, and Van Sant and Penn likewise chose not to mute the portrayal of Harvey Milk. I have not doubt that Penn will win an Oscar for his total embodiment of Milk, but the supporting cast lives up to its description, with standout work from Josh Brolin, James Franco, Diego Luna, and Emile Hirsh.
Milk
February 18th, 2009 · No Comments
Tags: Biographical · Capsule · Director · Drama · Ensemble
Here are this morning’s Oscar-nominated films, alphabetically. The nominees for foreign language film and documentary feature are compiled at the end of the list. (Short format nominees are listed in a 
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