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Reviews
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| SEAN PENN IN MILK | Joseph Belanger
October 2009
Movie Entertainment
October is a scary month, folks. Sweaters become less a novelty and more a necessity. It may even snow! Fortunately, you can pretend the seasons aren’t changing by locking yourself indoors and enjoying these wonderful tales of overcoming adversity.
MILK
This was without question my favourite film of 2008. Director, Gus Van Sant told the story of the first openly gay American elected to a position in office, Harvey Milk, the former city council member from San Francisco. Every element comes together so perfectly – from Sean Penn’s well-deserved Oscar winning performance and the incredible supporting cast (James Franco, Josh Brolin) to the heartbreaking screenplay, beautiful cinematography and dynamic score. The most striking thing about the film is witnessing the early stages of the gay rights struggle and then realizing that the same struggle continues to this day. (TMN, October 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26 and 29)
(Note: If you want to know more about the real Harvey Milk, catch the Oscar winning documentary, THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK on TMN, October 2, 14, 18, 22 and 26.)
OUTRAGE
I caught this documentary this year at the Tribeca Film Festival and wept most of the way through. If after seeing MILK you need any proof that the gay rights struggle is ongoing, you need only watch Kirby Dick’s brave film. OUTRAGE is, on the surface, about outing closeted American politicians. Dig a little deeper and it’s about hypocrisy. Here is a film about the men and women who spend their entire lives influencing the laws and policies that affect the basic rights of gays and lesbians – from marriage to hate crime legislation – and then go home and live gay lives. They only think of themselves and of staying in power but never the young gay kid who considers suicide in face of what lies ahead. (HBO, October 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25 and 29)
TWILIGHT
On a decidedly lighter note than the last two suggestions, TWILIGHT was one of the biggest surprises for me last year. The surprise was that I actually enjoyed it. Sure, I have some issue with the guy who is essentially ten times the age of his love interest or the continued perpetuation of the ultimate bad guy and the girls who love them but there was simplicity to this modern vampire romance that really threw me. Kristen Stewart is a young lady with real troubles and the way she plays the now iconic Bella is so mature that the fantastical elements of the story become plausible. More importantly, the love feels real. (TMN, October 24 and 28)
WENDY AND LUCY
Michelle Williams is on many levels the total opposite of Bella as Wendy but, like Bella, she is emotionally withdrawn from the rest of society. In fact, Wendy’s only friend is her dog, Lucy, and when she goes missing while the twosome are en route to Alaska in hopes of finding work, Wendy goes from being homeless and cut off from people to being completely alone. This is a quiet film and not an easy one to take in but Williams proves once again that she has incredible talent that will no doubt take her much further than anyone would have ever expected. (TMN, October 29)
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to take my winter coat to the cleaner’s. Sigh.
For more Black Sheep reviews, check out the website at www.blacksheepreviews.com
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