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In 1972, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his then-lover Scott Smith leave New York for San Francisco, with Milk determined to accomplish something meaningful in his life. Settling in the Castro District, he opens a camera shop and helps transform the area into a mecca for gays and lesbians. In 1977 he becomes the nation's first openly gay man elected to a notable public office when he wins a seat on the Board of Supervisors. The following year, Dan White (Josh Brolin) kills Milk in cold blood.
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Harvey Milk didn't seem destined for greatness. That, more than his assassination in 1978, is what makes his life such a compelling subject for a film.
In showing how Milk developed, in middle age, from surreptitiously gay white-collar drone to hippie-fied, out-and-proud activist and, eventually, San Francisco supervisor, "Milk" underscores how the little guy really can make a difference.
Director Gus Van Sant's storytelling approach, expansive yet always intimate, works in tandem with Sean Penn's masterful performance to create a loving, humanistic tribute to a San Francisco icon. Though it's clear from the film's start that tragedy awaits, its central figure is always infused with a sense of joy specific to people who find themselves, and their callings, later in life. (Full review)
3-1/2 stars (Full review)