What will I do when Oscar season is over? And why can't "The Wrestler" play at 2:20 pm in Peoria? I not downgrading Gus Van Sant's latest film, but it is more socially comforting to discuss a movie that doesn't have so much gay sex.
And as a struggling pro wrestler (Randy 'The Ram' Robinson don't got shit on me) I will tell you to stay away from the spandex hypocrisy comments you are thinking of.
The story of Harvey Milk is perhaps the most important in the last quarter of the 20th century. Just follow me on that statement. Do we really want to acknowledge or even argue about Larry Flint fight for freedom of expression? Still, I would not be surprised if, especially in Middle America (particularly Peoria since it was damn near February before the area got it), that many people don't know about what Milk did for human and more importantly gay rights. And how it came to a senseless end.
So I was a little disappointed that they gave the ending away at the beginning when they did such a great job of hiding it in the ad campaign. And because the lack of public knowledge, a feel of inspirational fiction was possible. The movie is so well written, and the viewer gets so behind the cause that we didn't need to know that it was true.
Until the end of course, but still, ignorance would have allowed for an awesome happy ending.
The acting is great on most accounts. Milk's second lover (portrayed by Diego Luna) was obnoxious, but I suppose it was written that way. Perhaps the performance should be praised since I didn't feel bad, hell I was waiting and prepped to cheer for his...well I'm not going to give that away.
Josh Brolin Best Supporting Actor nomination (and my pick) was earned as he definitely made Dan White a truly senseless character. The viewer and Harvey Milk a like want to understand his motivations, but the man behind the "Twinky Defense" was never understood in real life thus he cannot be truly understood here.
Writer Dustin Lance Black did a wonderful job of trying to establish our inability to quite lay a finger on what drove White, but tastefully fueled our ability to hypothesize. If he deserved recognition (which I doubt would be valid for a double political assassin), the person may be a worthwhile subject for a film.
Black's wrap around device, Milk's recording a tape in case something horrible happened to him, could have been put to better use. When the device should have been stopped sooner in my opinion especially with all the details of Milk that were given, but to reach the common man, it may have been the right decision to use it through out.
With Van Sant's directing, the device became secondary. It may confuse some viewers, but Van Sant was able to establish three different realms by using different camera effects, and once the viewer realizes the tricks, he or she becomes able to see and respect the vision Van Sant had for this film. The vision may not be his best, but again shows us the talent he possesses.
And the gayness he strives for. I don't want to sound homophobic, but some of it was a bit to graphic and there were only a couple of scenes that were necessary. After the film is over, the viewer is left wondering, "maybe some Ben/Matt action should have been featured in Goodwill Hunting."
On second thought, with how Sean Penn looks now, maybe some Affleck/Williams action was what Gus really wanted.
This Oscar season has given us some pictures that need to be seen. "Milk" might be the best historical picture of modern history we have received this decade, and has a message that is important to everyone.
Sadly, the importance of releasing a Oscar caliber film so late in the year prevented this from saving Gay Marriage in California, but may have laid out the blue prints for the next campaign for equal rights.
Milk showed that we are one loud and proud homo away from cultural change. So those who put your faith in the Bible, enjoy your religious sanctity while you can. Get use to it.
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