Milk (Gus Van Sant)

Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), sick of being in the closet, moves to San Francisco with his lover Smith and open up a camera shop in the Castro district. As the area, a haven for openly gay people, begins to be effected by the bigotry of the police force and locals, Milk decides to run for city supervisor, becoming the first openly gay man to do so. He wants to make changes but with opposition in every corner, it becomes clear that he is severely outnumbered.
Usually a more avant-garde filmmaker, Van Sant is strangely conventional with Milk but it works to his advantage. He avoids the overused elements of film-making and sticks to a simple story, with the help of documentary footage, lots of colours and an occasional narration from Milk. It's not a story that needs to be dressed up in unnecessary stylistic direction, it's potent enough on it's own and still feels important in the 21st century, especially with the vote in California to uphold Proposition 8.

Milk was a man that inspired hope in thousands and still does to this day. He wanted gay people to be able to walk freely in the street without fear of attack and he fought for the rights of his friends and the millions that were oppressed around the country. During his many attempts to be elected, the anti-gay campaigner Anita Bryant (seen in the film through real news footage) was fighting for dismissal of all gay teachers in America. Watching the footage of her is haunting stuff and adds an extra element to the story. As Milk, Sean Penn is the best I've ever seen him. With a heart of gold and desperation for change, he leads the masses with a strong desire for a different world. He is perfection in the role, pure and simple. You never doubt his pain or his power. Sign me up for Team Penn. James Franco is also excellent, putting to rest any concerns that his acting is wooden, as seen in Spiderman. The young cast is full of wonderful actors, such as Emile Hirsch and Diego Luna, but the supporting gem is Josh Brolin. Securing an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Supervisor Dan White, he is a frightening example of pent up rage and discrimination that ultimately results in tragedy. It could have easily fallen into pantomime villain waters but Brolin keeps it subtle.
Danny Elfman's score is one of my favourites of the year, helping to keep the emotions flowing. I think I cried on three separate occasions during the film, much to my own embarassment. The story is inherently melodramatic but avoids the typical biopic pitfalls in favour of something more authentic and ultimately effecting. The screenplay by Dustin Lance Black dives head first into the issues that surrounded Milk and doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable moments.
For such a heartbreaking story, there is a lot of joy in Milk. The joy lies in the hope and the realisation that one man can make a difference. You cry at the shocking injustice of one man ruining so much but the power that one man caused was enough to change so much and you cheer for Harvey. One of the best films I've seen in a long time, Milk is a heartfelt movie with a staggeringly good leading performance and enough power to make you want to change the world.