Review of "Milk"

watch this!!!

If the review almost moved me to tears I know the movie will.

thanks for the good review. I wanted to see this no matter what but knowing it is a solid and honest piece makes me want to see it even more ;)

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No on H8! pics

Jeeze a spoiler alert would've been nice.

Not all of us know all the history of Harvey Milk. Now I feel like the movie is ruined :( 

"Milk" will only be showing in selected theaters. :((

I have seen the documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk" which I think the movie will pretty much be very similar. However I still would like to see the movie.  

Thanks for the review.

www.myspace.com/lunakiss7

the movie. I don't know what compelled me to rent a documentary about Harvey Milk last summer, but I  am glad I did. It was very touching and sad and fierced.  He was a brave, hopeful  fighterI who blieved in good things and people. I  can't wait to see the movie and the great actors/actresses who play these real people on screen. I have to give my props to James Franco. This is his second Queer rolethat he has played (He played bisexual actor  icon James Dean).  A straight extremely talentive  actor not afraid to play Gay. Rock on !  Also a shout out to Sean Penn for making this his first Gay role to play.

I have to  check  localmovie theaters. Hopefully a local indpt movie theater in my neighborhood will have this film shown. I'm crossing my fingers. I really want to see this film. I enjoy Gus Van Sant's films and admire his work.

"It's on our own community, where many young queer people are barely aware of Harvey's legacy, that the film may have the greatest impact. That's partly because it teaches them about a period in our history they didn't really know about before, but it's more because it makes them care personally about Harvey and his friends, lovers, and enemies."

That's so true. It's brilliant timing. I (like so many other gen y'ers) hadn't even heard of Harvey Milk until the promo. So, I guess I'll just be getting 'schooled in a freezing cold movie theatre with stale popcorn and overpriced Sour Patch Kids with the best of us, haha.

I'm actually going with a straight friend of mine to see it in the coming weeks. Sure, there have been major motion pictures with homosexual characters and homosexual themes (Brokeback, RENT), but this really transcends the labels--partially because it's true, partially because it's about human will. I don't see how anyone could turn down this film. I'm sure I have just as much to learn from Milk as the garden variety straight person does, =).

Great review. 

Inkblots

Totally can't wait to see this film!!!

Been wanting to for ages.

Sucks we have to wait until 16th of January over here :(

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22059764903

I just realised something.  I've only seen ONE poster for this (not knowing what it was about) and knowing the content of the movie makes sense now.  The ad is quite large but it's smack in the middle of THE GAY DISTRICT of Toronto.  I've been to Bloor and St. George and College St. and haven't seen any other ads other than that one.  That's freaking sad considering the fact that Speed Racer and a few other action flicks have had HUGE advertisements stretching all the way through the commercial district.  Ugh.  Even with gay marriage, we're still secluded/invisible.

Can someone else from Toronto prove me wrong on this?  Please?!

Seems a lot of folks out there don't know who Harvey was, and I guess that's to be expected considering our US and world history standards are below minimal. Whether the history we learned was taught correctly or if it was interesting (and it is!!), and if it expanded beyond the biased stories of white rich men or if it only makes you feel all patriotic and fuzzy feeling about our country... well, it's history and it's all about perspective I guess. But given that we're supposedly of a community still being persecuted, it would make some sense to get caught up in our own struggles because, yes, you're not gonna learn gay history even in college classes. Simply put, history is huge and it would take years to be thoroughly caught up in all the movements and all the periods of time. History is like... exercise. You need to continually do it in order to stay in shape. 

The documentary is definitely worth seeing, and can be found at Netflix. I certainly wasn't going to find it in my local video store (*chuckles thinking about it being next to the hunting videos in the documentary section) so just look a little harder. While you're there, pick up some other documentaries on gay and lesbian culture and history. There's more in text so that's only if you just can't stand to read a book. It's worth knowing how far we've come and how much further we need to go.

Meanwhile, I'm stoked to see the 2008 feature film... Gus Van Sant is such an incredible director (See 'My Own Private Idaho' or 'Even Cowgirls Get The Blues') and just because he directed it, I'm expecting great things. The trailer looks amazing, fantastic cinematography. The mixing of old film with the new film will most likely have an impact on all those who don't know the history. I'm glad someone was out there getting some of it on tape. The acting... it's payback for Brokeback's loss. But how do you give one award to multiple people?

But mostly, as the review says, the movie's timing is impeccable, given the Prop H8 crap this year. Most everyone else in this country has already seen it's own share of anti-gay legislation and it didn't do much. We all sigh in submission and hope "better luck next year". California is just special because well, it's Cali. And finally it's no longer apathy and angst. It's action. We're finally talking about it outside the stupidity of what candidates think. Some randm moral issue that becomes all hype while they forget some of us really are affected. I'm hoping that 2008 is the year. We have a prop that's gotten everyone wound up, particularly all of us, and then a movie of epic scale with rave reviews to enlighten and move everyone else.

And geez, already... as much as history sucked in high school... it's actually pretty cool when you get to choose your own subject. Get on it and stop complaining about spoilers. Harvey Milk is probably as well known as he is because he did die. Unfortunately. That's what happens with martyrs. As far as spoilers go... when you're watching a movie based on true events, specially big events, or documentaries, spoilers are a given. You should expect them because you should already know them. Wait, did I say to catch up on your history? Dude, go get a gay history book and get off this website for awhile.

Seriously, crack a book sometime. I came out when I was 17, and I learned about Milk by going to the book store and library and reading about my history.

This movie will be good no doubt, but you can't cover our whole history in 128 minutes.

Whats so odd is, I had never heard about Milk until a few months ago and then I learnt about it twice in the space of an hour in 2 completely seperate ways

a) Looked up SanFrancisco on wikipedia, its a main part

b) Watched an Ellen thing, Sean Penn was in it, looked him up, saw his imdb. saw Milk, recognised it from wikipedia about an hour before

its way weird how these things happen! and then a few weeks later loads of reviews of the thing! its like i was destined not to find out about it till a lil while ago

i can understand ppl saying 'research your own history' and it can be annoying when ppl don't and are annoyed by trailers, then on the other hand sometimes things just do escape you..

I was teaching junior high school when Milk and Moscone were assasinated. 

..later that month Jonestown happened -- to people that I taught in that very junior high.  precious kids all gone.

yeah, it was a rough year.   and i remember almost everything about it, just like I remember the Kennedy, RFK, MLK assasinations.

...my generation went through some tough times watching our heroes die.

...my god.  and to think that some of you weren't even born during those years. 

I can't wait to see this!!!

..the review's just made it unmissable.  Thank you Christie Keith.

I am excited to see this movie, it looks phenomenal! I don't think it could have come out at better time, with Prop 8 being passed and all.

I talked to one of my heterosexual customers who i've known for about a year. He said "Gay people shouldn't settle for civil unions, because it's not equal rights. Anything that segregates people like that is being treated as a second class citizen. Gay and Lesbian couples should have the right to MARRY."

He's a nice guy, and a professor. He's always great to converse with. I find myself, feeling enlightened when i talk with him.

I commend and greatly appreciate my Sociology professor for having showed, "The Times of Harvey Milk" to the class. This was my introduction to thee great Harvey Milk. I vividly remember the emotion that took over me as I watched the candlelight vigil. Coming from a semi small rural/urban town, this video definitely sparked controversy amongst the class. It was something that we had never been exposed to, certainly opened up a lot of eyes. 

Why must tragic events, such as the death of Mr. Milk, take place in order to progress towards positive change? If only we could all learn to get along, accept and embrace each others differences, and work with one another, we would all live prosperous lives. Ahh wishful thinking.... I am keeping the hope alive.

I was a senior in high school when Milk and Moscone were assasinated, and remember it very well. It happened within days of the Jonestown massacre, which included the assasination of congressman Leo Ryan. It seemed like it was open season on CA politicians. As someone has already stated, it was a rough time. I remember thinking, the world's quickly going to hell in a handbasket, and I'm not even out of high school yet!

Those who haven't seen The Times of Harvey Milk should do so as a documentary companion piece to this new theatrical film. It's depressing, but very worth seeing. There are scenes that will stick with you for a lifetime.

that it wont be showing till Jan whatever and it wont be showing in all cinemas but you know what "sucks" more? It wont come within a thousand miles of the middle east!

However dahlings' where theres a will theres a way ;-)

My grandparents got the Dvd early cuz they get movies that got nominated for awards and i have to say this movie was really good.

It shows the harsh reality of what happened back then and how people can be so small minded.But it showed how people shouldnt give up on what important to them. i loved it. everyone should go see it.

Sean Penn had serious balls playing that character. I work in a video shop and in between shelfing porn and twidling thumbs, i watched this film and had quite a few customers come in complaining 'what the hell is on my screen'. so unfortunately a family with small kids came in at the beginning scene with whipped cream haha but some people (aged older than 4) actually had the nerve to comment they cant believe penn would stoop to such a role :(

anyways mean movie, played it 3 times to spite the basturds. Would highly recommendit.