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The Hobo Philosopher 2010-07-31

Reviewer: Richard E. Noble

Sean Penn went all the way on this one. This was quite a story and movie. I didn't expect the movie to be so graphic. Sean Penn plays a gay man and there is no denial in the portrayal or the man himself. This was no whitewash of gay living.

This is the tragic life and death of a gay male activist and radical. I think it pulled no punches. I am amazed at how Sean Penn was able to transform himself into a gay man - even the look it is eyes. It is amazing. The acting was superb. The story was difficult. I am not truly "liberated" on this subject and the movie confirmed many of my predjudices. But it did make me mull everything over and look at the subject more closely.

I had heard about Mr. Milk and his tragic death but I didn't know his story. It was something else to watch. I still don't know what to make of it. But I congratulate all those involved. They succeeded in giving me something to think about. Once it is all laid out on the screen and put before you visually and audibly, it is quite differnt than what we all have stored in our heads. I am in awe of Mr. Penn and his acting in this one.

The movie is an "in your face" type production. Here I am, a gay man, take it or leave it. The movie left me more informed, more thoughtful, and less bigoted. Very good job of "theater."

We need films like this! 2010-07-25

Reviewer: queermovies

We need people like Harvey Milk! And we need films like this! The battle for equal rights hasn't nearly been won. Just look at Proposition 8, which was passed in November 2008 and provided that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." So, in other words, homosexual people are still not allowed to marry in California (or in most U.S. states). So we still need to fight for Civil Rights, just like Sean Penn in his role as Harvey Milk says at the end of the film: "I ask for the movement to continue. Because it's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power... it's about the us's out there. Not only gays, but the Blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's." A mainstream film like Milk surely helps the movement and this film has not disappointed us at all.

very intimate and good film about the destructive power of fear and hate 2010-07-22

Reviewer: Beatrice A. Lafave

i think the thing this film does so brilliantly is keep an intimate focus on the human being Harvey Milk . i'm often at odds with Sean Penn as a politically out-spoken actor . i do , however , always enjoy the diverse people he brings to life on film . here's hoping that the subject matter will not keep other strait and thoughtful people from renting or owning this excellent film . another feather in Josh Brolin's cap as well . strongely recommended .

A class of Milk 2010-07-14

Reviewer: Surferofromantica

Great movie with Sean Penn and a bunch of other well-known actors acting as gay '70s men. Judd Hirsch is in it too, getting away from his Speed Racer thing and a bit closer to his Dogtown thing. Josh Brolin is fantastic as Harvey Milk's assassin Dan White. It was pretty trippy finding out about the weird world of Anita Bryant and her goofy anti-gay campaigners, but this is what the hate of the 60s and 70s was all about. Great zeitgeist.

Meet Harvey Milk 2010-07-14

Reviewer: Steven McKinney

When I first bought this movie I was expecting a humourous movie about a slightly-retarded man on a farm that went into politics. Sean Penn was brilliant in "I Am Sam" so I thought I'd give this a spin. Oddly, nothing to do with cows or even him working at an ice cream store. Rather it's about him being a homosexual politician that likes to have homosexual sex with other homosexual men. I'm no prude, but I thought that it was a little bit odd to see someone who was mentally retarded kiss a man.

Usually I'd give this movie a poor review because it isn't funny at all like "I Am Sam" was or have a clever title that expresses the main focus on the movie. But this was a powerful film showing how politics can turn the average person into trouble. The second act where Harvey trains in karate is much better, honestly and leads up to a powerful scene where Milk finally confronts his ninja captive only to fall.