The Phantom Tollbooth - Movies Reviews Index


Since 1996	Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....


Home Subscribe About Us Features News Album Reviews Movie Reviews Past Movies Movie Resources Concert Reviews Book Reviews Top 10 Contact Us	Milk Stars: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Diego Luna, Alison Pill and Dennis O’Hare Director: Gus Van Sant Scriptwriter: Dustin Lance Black Composer: Danny Elfman Cinematography: Harris Savides, ASC Focus Features/Groundswell Productions Rating: R for language, some sexual content and brief violence Running Length: 129 minutes Harvey Milk fought through three campaigns to be a City Supervisor in San Francisco. He won the third time and Milk’s background story and murder are told in this original screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, as directed by Gus Van Sant. Sean Penn, with Oscar-nomination practically pinned on his collar, bears a close physical resemblance to Milk and does a piercing job of bringing the character to life. As we see, Milk’s life was a troubled one, and people around him were troubled, at times, also. The film begins with black and white footage of police raids on gay clubs. Then, we switch to Milk (Penn) sitting in his kitchen alone and making a tape, almost a last will and testament. We hear his thoughts about the passing years and then his story is told in flashbacks, always coming back to this narration. He meets Scott (James Franco) in a subway as Milk is about to celebrate his fortieth birthday. The encounter turns into a relationship that lasts several years, including a move to San Francisco and Milk setting up a camera shop business. It isn’t until Milk begins to organize the gay community, that problems develop in the relationship. It takes Milk years to become elected a City Supervisor of San Francisco, and by this time, Scott has gone and Milk is in a new relationship with Jack (Diego Luna), who is unstable and wants attention. Time passes, fashions change, and Milk is in his late forties when he encounters Dan White (Josh Brolin), another City Supervisor who has problems with gay rights and Harvey Milk, in particular. The Mayor (Victor Garber) is on Milk’s side, as the members of the gay community are a source of power in the city. All the while, the film flashes back to Milk recording his thoughts in a tape recorder. Events escalate, along with emotions and you will see this on screen as White is out of control. What happened to all the characters is shown at the end of the film. Sean Penn’s Harvey Milk not only physically resembles Milk, but sounds like him, too. You get to see Milk here, favorably and unfavorably. No one is perfect. James Franco as Scott, doesn’t make much of an impression, while Diego Luna’s Jack is over the top as needy and needy again. Alison Pill as the lone female here isn’t given much to do and neither is Victor Garber as the Mayor. Josh Brolin comes across as pouty in his portrayal of Dan White and the scene of him in his underwear is puzzling. What is eventfully shown is the progress of civil rights, including gay rights, that happened around the country at this time, and in California. Photography is well done by Harris Savides with tracking shots that follow Milk or White through buildings. Danny Elfman’s soundtrack emphasizes the happenings in the film, with music for the various time periods. There is so much material to present here, between civil rights and a biography of Harvey Milk, that I think the script skims over the top of events. A parade here, a meeting there, a debate with Briggs (Dennis O’Hare), a party and then it is on to another time frame. Perhaps, all in all, Milk could have been an informative mini-series instead. Copyright 2008 Marie Asner