Milk's The One

I will see Milk this week, hopefully. In the meantime, it's closing in on two million dollars at the b.o. from fewer than 40 engagements, which means it's very likely to be a big, fat arthouse (& beyond?) hit.

Tom O'Neil (via Film Experience Blog) thinks Milk's violent demise in the movie (spoilers! spoilers! if you're stupid and unaware of history! spoilers! spoilers!) will give him a leg up at Oscar time. I think he's going to have his work cut out for him defeating Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon, among others...

...including Slumdog Millionaire's Dev Patel. I caught the movie on Thanksgiving and am thankful I gave it a try. I found it to be a beautiful, involving, sweeping tale that left me on the verge of sobs. In a good way. Maybe I'll write more on it later if I find time, but be sure to seek it out—it's just fantastic. The British Independent Film Awards agrees with me.

But I still guess Penn is the favorite to win (again).

Comments

[John]

I'm planning to see it this week...I have high hopes for it. I still remember seeing The Life and Times of Harvey Milk on HBO when I was just coming out. It was so moving.

[Tomi Luka]

Count me on the stupid demographic. (I wasn't born in the US, and wasn't aware of who he was.)

[ciarán]

I've seen "Milk" and liked it a lot (and am VERY surprised that you haven't seen it yet, Matt!).

I saw Slumdog Millionaire (followed by a Q&A with Danny Boyle) and thought it was the best film I've seen this year. I wonder if the recent events in Mumbai will have any effect on how people view the film now. . .

Last night I saw an advance screening of The Curious Life of Benjamin Button, though, and as "star vehicles" go, Brad Pitt cannot be counted out to be at least nominated for Best Actor. (Though in the end I'm sure it will win the make-up or special effects awards instead.) I wasn't expecting to like it nearly as much as I did. (I was not a big fan of "Big Fish" -- the film I think "Benjamin Button" can be most easily compared. Let's see if the reviewers bear me out on this!)

[Ben]

I saw Milk in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day and actually did not enjoy it. Slow start, spotty plot progression, etc. Penn was EXCELLENT and Josh Brolin really tapped into White's messed up nature without being hammy or having much detail to work with. Franco and Luna were wasted. The young actress who played the sole lesbian was great. But the structure of the film was laborious and had too much drag. Harvey's story is one I'm quite familiar with...they should have just focused on the events chronicled in the last third of the film.

I can't wait to see Slumdog Millionaire!