[setanta]

Milk.

I hesitatingly watched this seeing as I've long thought that Sean Penn had strayed too far up his own rectum (no pun intended) to give any performance of note and also with a hint of bitterness, as I had championed Mickey Rourke for last years Oscar. Anyway, all my misgivings were unjustified.

What we have here is a vibrant, transcending piece of cinema that has so much more to say than just a simple, by-the-numbers and routine polemic statement for gay rights and their plight. This film is about living; about feeling free to express yourself and find your own truth, and it's anchored by an absolutely astounding performance from Sean Penn, in his most heartfelt and playful piece of acting since Fast Times. He doesn't play Milk as a hero, but as a caring, funny and flawed individual, imbued with a joie de vivre as well as a passion for the pursuit of civil liberties. It's honestly such a breath of fresh air to see him so open and loving.

There's such a warmth to the whole film - it's practically glowing and any flaws that it may have simply disappear in it's atmosphere. They should have shared that Oscar between the two of them!

Oh, and I'd urge anybody who enjoyed the film or have even a passing interest in the history of the period to check out The Times of Harvey Milk on youtube. Absolutely brilliant documentary.