Milk

MILK (15)
D: Gus Van Sant
Focus Features/Axon/Groundswell (Dan Jinks & Bruce Cohen)
US 2008
128 mins

Biopic

W: Dustin Lance Black
DP: Harris Savides
Ed: Elliott Graham
Mus: Danny Elfman
PD: Bill Groom
Cos: Danny Glicker

Sean Penn (Harvey Milk), Emile Hirsch (Cleve Jones), Josh Brolin(Dan White), Diego Luna (Jack Lira), James Franco (Scott Smith)

Sean Penn won his second Best Actor Oscar in five years (following 2003's Mystic River) for his lead performance in this biopic of Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist during the 1970's and the first openly gay politician to run for Californian office.
It's a superb performance from Penn, 100% convincing in the role, whilst Josh Brolin & James Franco offer sterling support. There's excerpts from documentary films featuring the real-life Harvey Milk & the subject matter is handled very tastefully by director Gus Van Sant.
8/10

Sean Penn in Milk
Sean Penn in Milk