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Movies / Upcoming / Milk
Milk

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Milk (2008)

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Reviews Counted:215

Fresh:201

Rotten:14

Average Rating:8/10

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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81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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Why is there no openly gay Hollywood actor portraying any of the historical figures in this film? Because no American A-list film star has come out to be counted.

Full Review Source: Tulsa World | comment 21 Comments
12/12/08
Michael Smith
Michael Smith
Tulsa World

So much about Milk speaks to our current Prop 8 poisoned society that it should be studied by anyone wondering where hate and bigotry get their clear eyed cravenness.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
12/12/08
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
PopMatters

Van Sant keeps things tidy and digestible, allowing us to feel morally superior to White and proud of our tolerance of Milk, his friends and his supporters. We get to be on the side of righteousness, to be assured that because we are touched by the aspira

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
12/12/08
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Yes, there is enough gay heat in the movie to pasteurize Richard Simmons' swimming pool %u2013 and allegedly the longest man-on-man kiss of any mainstream movie. I credit Director Gus Van Sant for keeping it real and authentic and not diluting the tone to

Full Review Source: Richmond.com | comment Comment
12/12/08
Mike Ward
Mike Ward
Richmond.com

While message films can be polarizing, Milk has an urgency that Penn makes user-friendly.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
12/11/08
Duane Dudek
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

After eight long years of cinematically picking lint out of his bellybutton, Van Sant returns from the void of his scarf collection with this noble bio-pic, a film awash with colorful characters and a pinpoint recreation of a time and place.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
12/11/08
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

Perhaps it is simply an accident of timing that puts Milk in theaters at this moment. But fate or simple fortunate timing, Milk arrives as one of the best films of 2008.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
12/11/08
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

Transcends the solemnity of its historical duty, seeming both timely and timeless -- and fully alive.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
12/11/08
Jonathan Kiefer
Jonathan Kiefer
Sacramento News & Review

Like the inclusive American ideals its hero so staunchly advocates, this movie is open to everybody.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Weekly | comment Comment
12/10/08
Sean Burns
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

Gus Van Sant has made his Malcolm X.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
12/10/08
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

It's that rare case where the importance of the subject matter and the importance of the film are on equal footing.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
12/10/08
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

As far as paint-by-numbers biopics go, Milk is unquestionably the best we've seen in years - maybe even the whole decade.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
12/08/08
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

As a true story, it makes great drama - preferable if you don't already know the history.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
12/08/08
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Sincere, gentle and at times engrossing mainstream biopic on Harvey Milk.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/07/08
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

That Milk is merely excellent and not transcendent should not obscure its importance to popular culture...

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
12/07/08
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

A biopic so adoringly biased it destroys credibility.

Full Review Source: Tolucan Times | comment 21 Comments
12/06/08
Tony Medley
Tony Medley
Tolucan Times

Director Gus Van Sant's storytelling approach, expansive yet always intimate, works in tandem with Sean Penn's masterful performance to create a loving, humanistic tribute to a San Francisco icon.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
12/05/08
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
Sacramento Bee

It's not a great movie, but it is an enlivening and unusual one: an effervescent political film that also packs a knockout punch.

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
12/05/08
Michael Sragow
Michael Sragow
Baltimore Sun

The sweetness and thrill of a heady new sense of possibilities in the pre-AIDS era is almost unbearably poignant.

Full Review Source: Beliefnet | comment Comment
12/05/08
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Beliefnet

It's a surprisingly balanced drama that boasts a great ensemble cast.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
12/04/08
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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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...

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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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