Movie One

Milk.

I really did not know all that much at all about Harvey Milk. Nor did I really know , I found out, much about San Francisco in the '70's. The movie does a really good job at letting you into that world. Well, it keeps it all pretty darn clean,  but... 

Sean Penn was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Mr. Milk, and VERY rightfully so. You forget it's Sean Penn! He is that good in this. I thought some of the sort of quirkiness  that Director Gus Van Sant used distracted from the story, ( he goes to a sort of faux '70's era news footage often...) But Neil really liked it, and he does know a little more about the 70's than I do. Harvey Milk was a trail-blazer, no doubt.

What I found most intriguing about the film ( other than Mr Penn's acting, he is that good), was the fact that SO MUCH of the text, the argument that went of , from both sides not only could be said today, BUT was said over prop 8. The more things change.. 

I think this movie will be good for young gay and lesbian folk, JUST to see how far and fast we have come. I highly recommend this movie. One thing that seems to me to just be a giant ghost hanging over the film was my knowledge of what was coming next. Harvey Milk died in November of 1978, the same year that the very first hints of the coming epidemic were noticed. So , so many of the men that supported Mr Milk, didn't live to that many more years. This is not a part of the movie, at all, of coarse... just a personal reflection. Could he have pushed the city council to move a little bit faster with things... etc... 

Anyway... see this one, if you can....