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Milk By Harry Forbes Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- "Milk" (Focus) is a solid biographical drama about San Francisco supervisor and gay rights activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), his tumultuous rise to the supervisor post after three failed runs for city and state office, and his 1978 assassination -- along with Mayor George Moscone (Victor Garber) -- by deranged fellow supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin). The film concentrates more on Milk's activities in the public arena than on his private life, though it begins with him celebrating his 40th birthday in New York, and deciding to relocate to San Francisco with his partner, Scott Smith (James Franco). They open a camera shop on Castro Street, and Milk's political aspirations crystallize as he becomes increasingly interested in fighting for equal rights for homosexuals. Director Gus Van Sant effectively brings an almost cinema verite style (cinematography by Harris Savides on location in the Bay Area) to this docudrama, and several of Milk's colleagues play themselves or appear briefly on camera. Dustin Lance Black's screenplay is, by all accounts, scrupulously accurate. Penn is especially fine, and Brolin is scarily intense as the Catholic White. (We're shown a lengthy baptism of White's baby, with Milk ironically the only invited outsider.) The strong cast also includes Emile Hirsch as activist Cleve Jones, Alison Pill as campaign manager Anne Kronenberg, and Denis O'Hare as California State Sen. John Briggs, who clashes with Milk over allowing the issue of allowing gays to teach in schools. The film contains brief scenes of homosexual activity including male kissing and nongraphic encounters, rear male nudity, murder, suicide, and some rough language, crude expressions and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. - - - Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies. END Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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