Harvey Milk never fails to reduce me to a huddled, sobbing lump, even when he’s Sean Penn. So this Gus Van Sant biopic on the slain gay rights activist was moving and effective, right? Eh, not so fast. Milk is very uneven, and really kind of unnecessary.
Forget Sean Penn’s Oscar-winning impersonation. The definitive film remains Rob Epstein’s 1984 documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk. The biopic, in fact, borrows heavily from that documentary, launching the story with the same footage of Dianne Feinstein’s announcement of the assassination, and interspersing clips at different points throughout the narrative. Herein lies the jolting unevenness. By using the documentary footage, the filmmakers distracted me from their otherwise watchable reenactment and only reminded me how much the documentary rules and everything else drools. “Oh! It’s Dianne Feinstein, wide-eyed and haunted, just the way the documentary began, think I’m gonna bawl now…Look, the real Milk, and Sean Penn again, amazing performance, blah blah blah…” I mean, why didn’t they have the Feinstein actor reenact that devastating moment on the steps of San Francisco City Hall? Maybe because it would pale in comparison to the original footage. They did film the candlelight march, but then cut in documentary footage anyway. Why? Because those real-life images are undeniably more powerful.
So what’s the point of Milk? Just let us watch the documentary on Hulu.com!
The filmmakers and historical consultants explain in the DVD bonus features that they hoped to introduce a whole new generation to Harvey Milk’s story. A generation of folks, apparently, with no patience for documentary films you might stumble across on public television (or Hulu.com—go watch it!) Folks who want their history lessons served with a side of steamy sex. (I confess that James Franco is rather easy on the eyes…) Folks who need to see the man gunned down in slow motion for the assassination to effect an emotional response? Come on!
Milk had some potential. I did enjoy Tosca playing as Milk splits with his partner. But it was too late to introduce a grand operatic metaphor at that point in the movie, after I’d endured plenty of original music by Danny Elfman and a sprinkling of ’70s period tunes.
***
The Pedestrian Saga kiss of death for so pedestrian and pointless a film. I’m disappointed but hardly surprised: Gus Van Sant, the guy who remade Hitchcock’s Psycho scene for scene, has wasted my time before.
PS I was pleased to read that Harvey Milk was among the 16 most recent recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
PPS Am I the only one fighting the urge to punch a wall when this fearmongering sex offender ad pops up on various pages in the Milk IMDb entry?
Updated August 10: to correct a classic grammatical error, thanks to my plucky kid sister.
Is it bad of me to be utterly giddy to have found a grammatical error in my big sister’s writing?!? It should be to EFFECT an emotional response. However, I’ve even corrected English teachers on this one, because we’ve been so inundated with the message that effect is a noun only, but it is used properly as a verb in this instance (whenever you are using it to mean “to bring about” or “produce” something, so you can’t feel too bad.
Meanwhile, I should probably write a real comment while I’m here, instead of just nitpicking. I’m glad you shared the Hulu link, I’ve been meaning to watch the documentary eventually, since you recommended it, and now it’s right here just waiting for a Kevin naptime for me to enjoy! Haven’t seen “Milk” yet either so I can’t really comment on whether I agree or not with your review….
“…so you can’t feel too bad.” Remind me to glare at you next time we Skype.
Please do check out the documentary. I think you’d really enjoy it. “Enjoy” in the sense of tragic emotional history lesson.
“The kiss of death”?
What, you’re a dementor now?
No, just slightly demented and metaphorically challenged (that is, challenged in the use of metaphors). I must have been suffering a delusion of grandeur to suggest that my ratings could make or break a movie’s success. I mean, my sister reads these reviews, but mostly to do opposite of my recommendations.
Yes, it’s true I often go opposite of you sis, but I will admit that it is thanks to you that we have our Frighteners during trick-or-treating time tradition, I loved Dr. Horrible, and the Harvey Milk documentary is quite good so far, I’ve started it and will finish it soon when the Kevster gives me the chance! So see, your recommendations are occasionally followed by me even!
The Emstermeister rocks, makin’ Keeslar proud- though she did forget to close her parenthetical remark. (Closing our remarks, we find difficult in the family, tending rather to ramble. It’s genetic.) I haven’t watched Milk, knowing how it ends, knowing it will be grueling, knowing I have season one of Angel waiting. I’ll settle for the Dementress rec and skip it, though I’ve seen the previews and Penn does look masterful. I’ll settle for honoring his legacy and speaking out against the narrowness.