Rating of
3/4
Not Great But A Good Biography
Alex - wrote on 12/14/08
I give this movie 3 stars for the learning experience and the exceptional camera work. Harvey Milk is the savior for many homosexuals. If you fall into that category this movie is definitely for you. I think it did an outstanding job of depicting characters of the 70s.
The Good: Many movies you see now days are so polished they look to glisten. This movie is not, which I like. I like the grunge feel of San Fran during the 70s. The film was graining at times, gruesome at times, and accurate. That was a good thing. To me Sean Penn was pretty damn good. This is his best performance since Mystic River. He plays a good gay. James Franco is also very good as the partner/side kick. The rest of the characters were ok as well. Also, the camera work was done well. There was a scene in which the entire shot was played out on a whistle. Good stuff.
The Bad: Was it too gay? It may be for some. If you are on the fence about seeing this movie because of the homosexual tones, you may want to skip it. I feel it was a good educational piece but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't open enough. Too be hones though, other than learning about his life and a few other good camera things, this movie was a typical biography. It showed his life through time and depicted the end. It did not wow me.
Overall, good for learning but many will not enjoy it. I am not surprised it did not make it on the Golden Globe list. See it if you want to see a decent biography of someone you have never heard of before.
