A relevant topic that speaks to any decade.

"Milk"
Starring: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Diego Luna
***.5/****

Sean Penn disappears into this chameleon like role as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay male elected into public office in San Francisco in 1978.

It’s easy to forget that Penn is Harvey Milk, this is a sign of a great performance.
Director Gus Van Sant has made his name directing minimalist dramas about youth; his themes of death and alienation have consumed his last three films. With "Milk", Van Sant re-invents himself, other than Good Will Hunting, this is Van Sant’s most accessible and straightforward film. He manages to re-create the 1970’s time period with documentary style footage from that decade. This plays more like a docudrama than anything, giving the viewer the notion that they are living this film, which I felt. Most of the film takes place on Castro street in San Francisco, a widely gay populated area where Harvey Milk first opened a camera shop on Castro street, making it also a place to congregate and hang out. The camera shop later turned into a campaign center for Harvey, as he and his followers populated the area with their liberal ideas and hopes.

James Franco is possibly the films biggest surprise. He has had a quite a year, and is clearly breaking out with his performance in Milk. He plays Scott, Harvey’s on and off lover, Franco brings subtlety and emotion to what could have been an easy throwaway role.

Emile Hirsch shows new range, as Cleve Jones, a hands on gay activist who fights alongside Harvey Milk throughout the film. Hirsch who was directed by Penn in “Into the Wild,” has made a name for himself as one of the best young male actors working today.

Josh Brolin is somewhat of a mystery throughout this film, his character is truly the wild-card in the cast and in the film. Brolin has come off a red-hot 2007, and continues to find success with any role he consumes. He played George Bush, and he also plays a demanding city supervisor named Dan White. Brolin can say more with silence than many other actors, his stillness is haunting and his presence alone is noteworthy. White and Harvey are dynamic together, always needling each other for support and favors.

The film is a history lesson, and a relevant one at that. This film couldn’t’ have come out at a better time, 2008 saw changes that will go down in history, just like the changes that Harvey Milk stood for in the 1970’s.

The film also manages to pack in a plethora of information and characters, in just under 2 hours. Van Sant’s pacing is spot on, and his shots are always precise. "Milk" is a smart breed of acting, writing and editing, with all of the key characters representing something. In the end, the film transcends the usual biopic standards, creating a powerful and worthwhile experience.