Milk

"Society can't exist without the family."
"We're not against that."
"Can two men reproduce?"
"No... but God knows, we keep trying!"

Wonderful, wonderful movie, and one of the best biographical films ever made.
Yes, this is a film about Harvey Milk, the first gay man elected to public office. And yes, he was assassinated in 1978. So, of course, there's lots of drama, trials and tribulations and what-have-you. But this film doesn't wallow in sadness and despair. It's celebratory and joyful, in the best kind of way. This is a playful, funny, and immensely entertaining picture.
Openly-gay filmmaker Gus Van Sant (Elephant, Good Will Hunting) had tried for years to get this film made, ever since he started his career in the 80's. The project was a labor of love for Van Sant, who had endured several failed attempts at making the film since 1992, when he first bought the rights. It was long considered a risky project, even with a comparatively low budget of $15 million dollars. Only when 2005's Brokeback Mountain was successful, was this film greenlighted. It's the film that - for lack of a better word - he was "born" to make.
That passion is evident in every frame of this film. Van Sant - who recently went the much more experimental route with Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, and Paranoid Park, is no less innovative here, relying heavily on archive footage to create a sense of time and place with his low $15 million budget. One sequence in particular is shot in the reflection of a metal whistle lying on the ground (it'll make sense when you see it). Brilliant stuff.
First-time feature screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (writer/producer of HBO's Big Love) did his own three years of personal research for the project, and it shows. The film has some of the most well-drawn characters of the year. And thankfully, Black doesn't fall victim to the frequent first-time writer syndrome of telling his story in some crazy narrative fashion. Everything is pretty straight-forward. Black knows he has enough going for his story and doesn't feel the need to try and "pump it up" one bit. It's refreshing.
And last but not least, I must point out the acting. It goes without saying that Sean Penn and Josh Brolin are great, and both were Oscar-nominated for their work. But everyone in the movie is amazingly well-cast and pitch-perfect. (I've long thought that the Academy needs a "casting" award. Good casting is really 3/4 of what makes a film anyways. The closest thing to this award is the Screen Actors' Guild "Ensemble Cast" award, but why give another award to the actors? Casting directors - the unsung heroes of the film business. But I digress...) Special mention should be made of James Franco in a small but pivotal role, and Emile Hirsch - who in my opinion completely steals the show.
Well, anyway... Great movie. Check it out (if you can find it in theaters... Focus Features really screwed the pooch on this one).