Tonight my mom made peanut butter cookies and we watched Milk together.
Prior to seeing the film,I only vaguely knew the story of Harvey Milk and wasn’t aware that he ended up getting shot (an unfortunate outcome that is made known within the first few minutes of the film).
At first I thought, “well now we know how it ends!”
but then I realized, how strategic this opening was. After all,this really did happen, so what a brilliant take on the film to craft it around the fact that he does indeed die at the end.
For those of you who have yet to see this film, in the very beginning we see Harvey Milk talking into a tape recorder, telling the story of his activism for what he calls his “just in case” recordings.
To be honest, I am unsure if the recordings are real or invented for the sake of storytelling. However, the scene itself (which is shown in segments throughout the film) worked fantastically for carrying the narrative and allowing the audience to float easily along without worrying if Harvey will get shot at any given moment, because we know that he must come to the end of his “just in case” monologue.
The film itself was styled for the time period, and I don’t just mean the sets and the clothing. Rather, it was shot in a way which feels authentic, and almost like a documentary.
Actually, I really did feel like I was watching a documentary- and this surprised me considering the star-studded cast. Yet, I believed what I was watching and It was not until the credits rolled and I lept toward my favorite reference( IMDB), that I realized I had just spent a couple of hours with
Ryan from High School Musical (Lucas Grabeel), George W. Bush from W. ( Josh Brolin), Harry Osborn from Spiderman (James Franco), Ella from Confessions of a Teenage Dram Queen ( Allison Pill), Speed Racer… from Speed Racer (Emile Hirsh), and Professor Callahan from Legally Blonde (Victor Garber).
Of course I was aware that Sean Penn was playing the role of Harvey Milk, however, his performance was 100% committed and at no point did I question that he was anyone other than the real Harvey Milk.
I really enjoyed how the cinematography in this film related to it’s message. For example, there are a lot of “reflection shots”, either into a window, a mirror, or my favorite, a silver whistle. The idea of “reflection” appears in the film as we look back on this historical event and the attitudes of the time, and these inventive shots really help to enforce it, even if only subconsciously.
Between the excellent script, tactful approach to re-telling a historical event, creative cinematography and fantastic performances from the actors, I felt this film was riveting and I encourage anyone who hasn’t already to see it!
also fun fact, according to IMDB “Thousands of people agreed to take part in the film as extras for free.” because they believed in the cause and were moved by the story.
and also, I am pretty sure that Emile Hirsh’s character is wearing an American Apparel Hoddie in a few scenes.
XO
JM
