Classic: Milk (2008)

What’s it about

This film is a real life docu-drama of Harvey Milk, America’s first openly gay, elected supervisor. Milk looks back in time and records all his life incidents on a tape that is meant to be played in the event of his assassination. All the incidents of his eventful life as a gay activist play out as the movie progresses.

               Harvey leaves his job as a businessman and runs away to San Francisco on the eve of his 40^th birthday, along with his newly found boyfriend Scott. They move to an area called Castro which is heavily populated by gays from all across America. They open a shop called Castro Cameras. Milk isn’t able to tolerate the atrocities that are committed against gays by the police. So, he unites all the gays and becomes a gay activist. He runs for the job of San Francisco board supervisor for many years and finally gets elected in a history making event.

               He has to fight against anti-gay people like Anita Bryant and John Briggs. He is particularly against a law that proposes to fire homosexual teachers in all schools and even the people who support homosexuals. Finally, Milk ensures that such a law isn’t put in motion, much to the elation of all his supporters.

              People like Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg are major pillars in Milk’s career as a gay supervisor in the San Francisco board. But, Milk has a troubled relationship with his boyfriends due to his high profile political career. 

             Another supervisor Dan White is jealous of Milk’s high profile public appearances and at the same time his incompetence compared to Milk’s charm.  So, White assassinates Milk and also Mayor Moscone who was strongly behind all of Milk’s actions. The movie ends with all of the LGBT community conducting a peaceful march in memory of their hero and also some information about what actually happened to the other main players in their respective real lives.

                                                                       

Hits

•  Sean Penn is an absolute natural as the gay Harvey Milk. The facial expressions, the hand gestures are all perfect. Another master-class from Penn
•  James Franco and Emile Hirsch as Scott and Cleve respectively, have adequate parts and they excel with their charm
• The appropriate usage of real footage is particularly impressive
• The narration style through the tape recording is awesome.
• Great painstaking research done by the entire team to recreate all the legendary real life characters and incidents.
• The intensely political scenes are very gripping

VERDICT

A real eye opener about such a huge gay movement with so many obstacles. Though scenes of 2 men kissing and making love were very shocking, their sheer passion to be their true-selves  and not hide in the closet, wins us over. 

I am Sam (2001)

Whats it about:
           The film details the sheer perseverance that a dad (with the intellectual capacity of a 7 yr old) displays in getting back his 7 yr old girl. The girl's mother leaves immediately after her birth. Sam Dawson brings up his kid so lovingly and in his own childish way. Sam has his friends who are all equally childish and genuine at heart. But on the kid's 7th birthday, she is taken away by the Child and Family services on the grounds that her needs can't be met by such an immature and childish dad.
      Sam is helped in his quest by a high profile lawyer who takes up his case for free. This lawyer, Rita has a reputation for being very money minded. But Sam despite all his efforts, isn't able to cope up with the court's proceedings and loses Lucy to 2 foster parents without a kid.
      But Sam perseveres and moves closer to Lucy's new home and their bond is rekindled in a much closer manner than before. The foster mother, Randy is so moved by the pure love that exists between the dad and kid that she gives Lucy up to her rightful owner. The film ends with Lucy back with her dad & Randy more than willing to help Sam in raising Lucy.

                                                               
Hits

• Marvelous show by Sean Penn as the autistic man with the brain of a 7yr old. Masterclass. Genuine genius
• Michelle Pfeiffer is also very natural as the high profile lawyer. She excels in the scene where she breaks down before Sam, saying how her life has become such a struggle. 
• The kid Dakota Fanning is super natural. What a brilliant actress at such a young age. A big future star without a doubt
• Sean's childish friends provide some classic comedy. Such innocence and sincerity in these 'children' men.
• Laura Dern as the foster mother is also good in the emotional scenes in the climax. 
• Nice soundtrack and songs by John Powell
• Pure emotions and love revealed

VERDICT

The triumph of pure parental love and perseverance. Worth a watch for the brilliant acting, all around. 

Classic Revisited - Into the Wild (2007)

Chris McCandless is a very bright college graduate with a great love for books and their quotes. Just when his parents are expecting him to follow their path in leading a life of materialistic pleasures, Chris leaves everything behind. He donates his savings to charity and sets out on a road trip to Alaska for what he calls ‘a great adventure’ and a spiritual revolution.

Chris is an extremist and an aesthetic voyager who is driven by more than just anger and his sense of rebellion against the mundane and abstract society. Mr and Mrs McCandless’ constant quarrels and troubles with each other really impact their 2 children in a dramatic way. Chris’ sister Carine is the only person who understands her brother. As the days pass, the entire McCandless family is concerned and all their searches for Chris prove in vain and they resign to their huge imminent loss.

During his great Alaskan adventure, Chris meets many nice people who help him with shelter, food, good life advice, some small jobs and Chris also makes some great relationships particularly with Rainey, Jan (the 2 mature lovers who are also on the move), Tracy (a beautiful 16 yr old singer), Wayne (the man who helps Chris with some money for his work at the wheat processing plant) and Ron Franz (the lonely old widower).

The entire movie moves in a non linear manner and Chris’ journey is divided into different chapters like ‘My Own Birth’, ‘Adolescence’, ‘Man Hood’ and ‘Getting of Wisdom’. When Chris finally reaches Alaska, he literally leads a wild man’s life. He stays in what he calls the ‘Magic Bus’. But as the days pass, Chris isn’t able to beat the forces and he finally succumbs after realizing that Happiness is real only when shared. A sad true life story.                                                                          

Hits

• Emile Hirsch has literally lived the role of Chris. The body changes are astounding. Great emoting too.
• A very moving BGM score. Nice songs too. They are perfectly in sync with the movie’s theme
• All the characters that Chris meets in his journey make a great impact. Great casting. Great acting by them all.
• The narration given by Chris’s sister is very poignant and touching. Such meaningful dialogs that strike an emotional chord
• The way the wild life has been captured is breath-taking. Nature in all its glory. Rivers, mountains, wild animals, wild plants, fields etc etc. Dreamy visuals. 

VERDICT

The movie on the whole makes a deep impact. Every young graduate does go through the same emotions that Chris goes through. But the guts that Chris had aren’t something that one finds in everyone. Salutations to Sean Penn and team for bringing this great young man’s life onscreen.