Milk 2008

Christopher Orr, The New Republic: Milk was murdered 30 years ago. The exceptional The Times of Harvey Milk won the Oscar for Best Documentary 24 years ago.... Yet, all this time later... Hollywood wants us to applaud its courage for finally--finally--telling this story? Read more

Ben Lyons, At the Movies: A very powerful film that's really relevant to what is going on in the world today. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: 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. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Harvey Milk was an intriguing, inspiring figure. And Milk is a marvel. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: Milk is one of the most heartfelt portraits of a politician ever made -- the man himself remains just out of reach. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Sean Penn gives a meticulously detailed performance as the cagey and charismatic pol, but credit should also go to Dustin Lance Black, whose script squarely locates Milk at the center of his community, his city, and his cause. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: 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. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Van Sant's film (and why did it take 24 years after the documentary to make this stirring, heartbreaking story a feature film?) finally gives Milk his due -- and becomes an immediate classic of gay cinema. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: [Penn's] strong performance provides crucial ballast to the winding narrative of Milk's life, which hits a lot of dead ends and detours before his rise to political and cultural prominence. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: With the combination of Van Sant's direction and Penn's masterful performance, it's moving, and important, as well. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: What's surprising about Milk is how much creative fun Van Sant has under the serious circumstances. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: The story of Harvey Milk is a tragedy, but not since Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High has Sean Penn played such a serenely happy individual. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: Somehow, Milk implants hope in those who've lost it. Somehow, Penn plays him as a feisty charmer so winning and lifelike that you'll regard him as a friend before it's over. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Milk is an agitprop fantasy about the selflessness of sainthood. If anybody but Penn was playing the saint, we'd probably feel as if we were being sold a bill of goods. Instead, he just about pulls it off. Such is the treachery of talent. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: At the heart of this eloquent portrait of a cultural catalyst is Penn's profoundly human, and possibly finest, performance. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Progress is slow, but Harvey Milk was one of the first to set the wheels in motion. He more than deserves a movie this good. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: [An] incisive and stirring dramatization of Harvey Milk's heroic life and violent death. Read more

Cole Haddon, Film.com: At the moment, it's my favorite movie of the year. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Milk is a worthy docudrama that is solid if not sublime. But, sometimes, a merely good film can brush up against greatness, and this one does so twice. Read more

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: It's a reminder, in this age of virtual flash and computer-generated wonders, of the power of simple human expression. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Penn and director Gus Van Sant play Milk's sexual orientation with candor that never dips into cartoonishness -- it's refreshing and true and manly Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: This film wants us to understand both how far we've come as a society and that it is still not far enough. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Van Sant works from a script by Dustin Lance Black to tell Milk's story clearly and forcefully. Read more

David Denby, New Yorker: 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. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Penn is one of our great actors, and his greatness comes from small things. Close your eyes and listen to how he absolutely gets -- but doesn't caricature -- Milk's honking Long Island accent. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR: Penn is so engaging, physically loose and just plain smart in the title role, he's bound to top everyone's shortlist come awards time. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: The final result somehow undersells a man whose life and death were watershed moments in the gay rights movement. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Penn goes way deep and soulful in a highly ingratiating performance that's the one to beat for the Best Actor Oscar. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: It's a lengthy, engaging, information-packed tribute to an early activist who dedicated the last years of his life to gay rights before it was fashionable, and paid the ultimate price for his passion. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: 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. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Milk represents a thought provoking, cathartic, and mostly true tale of politics and courage. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Sean Penn amazes me. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: I don't know that this is Penn's best performance, overall -- let's have that debate some other time -- but as far as the mannered, immersive impersonations of his later career go, Harvey Milk takes the cake. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: With Milk, a great San Francisco story becomes a great American story. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: It's nice to see Penn play a character of Spicoli-like sweetness and openness, rather than the glowering lugs that have become his specialty. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The film is a passionate history lesson, a broadside in favor of gay rights and the engaging story of one flawed but courageous man. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: The film understandably and movingly centres itself on Penn's portrayal of a hedonist-turned-activist who discovered that in order to change his world, he had to find his voice. Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: The story is sad, but the mood is jubilant and the energy relentless. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: 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. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: An adroitly and tenderly observed account of the life of Harvey Milk. Read more

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: Milk is so immediate that it's impossible to separate the movie's moment from this one. Read more