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Movies / Upcoming / Milk
Milk

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Milk (2008)

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Reviews Counted:36

Fresh:34

Rotten:2

Average Rating:8.2/10

Consensus: Anchored by Sean Penn's powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of America's first openly gay man elected to public office.

Australian Rating: MA15+ [See Full Rating] Mature themes, coarse language and sexual references

Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins

Genre: Dramas

Australian Theatrical Release:
Jan 29, 2009 Wide

US Box Office: $31,716,847

Synopsis: In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay... In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk under the direction of Gus Van Sant in Milk, filmed on location in San Francisco from an original screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, and produced by Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen. Milk charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk’s life. While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. With his beloved Castro neighborhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change. With vitalizing support from Scott and from new friends like young activist Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics. Bolstering his public profile with humor, Milk’s actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words. When Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, he tries to coordinate his efforts with those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin). But as White and Milk’s political agendas increasingly diverge, their personal destinies tragically converge. Milk’s platform was and is one of hope – a hero’s legacy that resonates in the here and now. --© Focus Features [More]

Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna

Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco

Director: Gus Van Sant

Director: Gus Van Sant
Screenwriter: Dustin Lance Black
Producer: Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Focus Features

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Reviews for Milk

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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The film itself can be taken as an act of testimony, mingling archival footage with re-enactments and immediacy with nostalgia.

Full Review Source: The Age (Australia) | comment Comment
02/05/09
Jake Wilson
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
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The film is dedicated to Milk's memory, but it's Penn that most of us will remember.

Full Review Source: The Australian | comment Comment
01/30/09
Evan Williams
Evan Williams
The Australian
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Penn is a revelation as Milk. He's always been a no-holds-barred actor, but this is another departure: his energy drives the story.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
01/29/09
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Sydney Morning Herald
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Quite simply, Milk is an unmissable film about a man who energised a movement.

Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia) | comment Comment
01/29/09
Colin Fraser
Colin Fraser
FILMINK (Australia)
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Milk is the full-cream deal; an artery-testing tale of love, politics, human rights and heartbreak.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph (Australia) | comment Comment
01/29/09
Vicky Roach
Vicky Roach
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
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Sean Penn's stunning performance as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man voted into US public office is the first reason to see this potent and involving film

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/23/09
Louise Keller
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile
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The film belongs to Sean Penn -- he inhabits Harvey’s sweetness, his astuteness, his courage and determination.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment Comment
12/19/08
Margaret Pomeranz
Margaret Pomeranz
At the Movies (Australia)
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Van Sant has a powerful story to tell, and he tells it with craft, as it was written.

Full Review Source: MovieTime, ABC Radio National | comment Comment
01/30/09
Julie Rigg
Julie Rigg
MovieTime, ABC Radio National
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Milk thoroughly deserves all of the press ink that will doubtless be spilt over it. Wear your ‘Vote Penn’ Oscar pin with pride.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/23/09
Colin Kennedy
Colin Kennedy
Empire Magazine
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Van Sant’s skill as a film-maker is showcased here to inspiring effect. Rarely has a lesson in political history felt so involving and alive. What’s more, it’s a genuinely important film that could not be better timed.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
01/23/09
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
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I felt that Milk is a slightly staid film, closer to the middle-of-the-road side of Gus van Sant's film-making persona, the bland side that made his treacly Sean Connery film Finding Forrester.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment 2 Comments
01/23/09
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/23/09
Empire Magazine
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Penn's performance is a marvelous act of empathy in a movie that, for all its surprisingly conventional style, measures up to its stirring subject.

Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal | comment Comment
12/01/08
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
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This film wants us to understand both how far we've come as a society and that it is still not far enough.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment 16 Comments
11/26/08
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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Once in a while, a movie arrives at such a perfect moment, its message and meaning so finely tuned to the current zeitgeist, that it seems less a cinematic event than a cosmic convergence, willed into being by a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of the stars.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment 4 Comments
11/26/08
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
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Milk has one of the finest ensemble casts this year and a magnificent, career-topping performance by Sean Penn, who disappears into the title role.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
11/26/08
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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Harvey Milk was an intriguing, inspiring figure. And Milk is a marvel.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
11/26/08
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
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Sean Penn amazes me.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 13 Comments
11/25/08
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Giving himself utterly to the role, Penn takes an actor’s craft and dedication to soulful heights, making a demand for dignity that becomes universal.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment 2 Comments
11/24/08
David Denby
David Denby
New Yorker
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An adroitly and tenderly observed account of the life of Harvey Milk.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment 6 Comments
11/03/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Milk

March 09, 2009: RT on DVD: Rachel Getting Married, Milk Lead Super Fresh New Releases
Home video enthusiasts, prepare yourself for what may be the best week ever! This week you'll have to choose between Academy Award flicks Rachel Getting Married (Best Actress... More...

February 24, 2009: Backstage at the Oscars: My First Time
In the movie world there is no event greater, no red carpet glitzier, no awards show more meaningful, than that of the Academy Awards. While millions watch the biggest night... More...

February 01, 2009: Slumdog's Danny Boyle Wins DGA Award
Danny Boyle takes home another win for Best Director from the Director's Guild of America -- could Oscar gold be just around the corner? See who else was nominated this year in... More...

January 27, 2009: Milk Among GLAAD Nominees Opens in new window
"Milk" has been a favorite on the awards circuit this year, and its hot streak has been extended courtesy of the GLAAD Media Awards, where it will compete in the Outstanding... More...

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