Got Milk?

While working in Cineworld for the JDIFF last week, I happened to overhear some glowing praise for 'Milk', the biopic of political activist Harvey Milk, so I decided to suss it out for myself.

Famed for being the first openly gay man in American politics, Harvey Milk was a key figure in the gay civil rights movement in the 1970's. This film charts his journey from inauspicious beginnings through to his term as a member of the board of state supervisors in San Francisco and the various personal and professional difficulties he faced along the way.

The film marks something of a departure for director Gus Van Sant, best known for his work in avante garde, independent cinema. Milk's story is certainly worth telling and Van Sant's attention to detail in his depiction of 1970's San Francisco provides the film with a wonderful authenticity.

Biographical movies are always constrained by limitations of the genre but, even if Milk does get a little fuddled between the title character's personal and professional life on occasion, it's mostly well-paced.

The title character is superbly played by Sean Penn, deservedly nominated for an Oscar for his performance. Although the film is damning of intolerance and homophobia, its main antagonist is not painted as a two-dimensional villain and this consideration is a key factor in setting this production apart from the type of melodramatic biopics you might catch on TV3 on weekday evenings.

The only major flaw I can see in 'Milk' is its conclusion. The way that the dramatic irony of the film's tragic climax is bluntly spelled out is, frankly, a little insulting to the intelligence of the audience. Flashbacks to Milk's premonition of his fate and blatant references to symbolism in a previous scene are unnecessary.

Overall though, Milk is an excellent film and I certainly wouldn't begrudge its tally of eight Oscar nominations. If you're planning any cinema visits in the next couple of weeks and 'Frost/Nixon' isn't your bag, then this is definitely a worthy alternative.

Oh, and look out for Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical's Ryan) in the supporting cast as an up-and-coming photographer.

[Images: LA Times & Disney Clipart]