Focus Features denies keeping the lid on 'Milk,' which finally debuts
Major hubbub bubbled up on the eve of the debut of "Milk" yesterday in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Focus Features was "eschewing publicity, keeping its awards contender out of fall fests and heavily restricting media screenings. " That caused Gawker and other media wags to wonder: Is that because 'Milk' just isn't any good"?
In a letter to Indiewire, Focus CEO James Schamus denied keeping the movie under wraps, noting that, "given its post-production schedule, we have only had finished prints at hand for a couple of weeks" and that "immediately on the heels of the premiere, a series of word-of-mouth screenings will be held over the next few weeks in every major city across the country. We will also be holding premieres of 'Milk' in New York, Los Angeles, and Portland."
Yesterday "Milk" premiered at the Castro Theater in San Francisco and also unspooled for media in Los Angeles. Although there is an embargo against full-fledged reviews until closer to the Nov. 26 release date, a Focus rep says "we are allowing pundits to write their brief thoughts about the film as it played in San Francisco last night."
Jeff Wells of Hollywood-Elsewhere gives the film a score of 8.5/10 and says, "I felt a genuine gayness from Sean Penn, who plays the title role of the late San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk, that I didn't think he had in him. Emile Hirsch and James Franco give the stand-out supporting perfs."
Kris Tapley of In Contention was less impressed with the film over all, saying Gus Van Sant is "working from such a by-the-book, greatest hits screenplay, but his creativity as a director allows the film to steer clear of some anticipated pitfalls. " However, he lauded Penn's "phenomenal portrayal" and admitted, "I was more impressed by Josh Brolin’s work than I expected, stepping into what could have been a flat villain role and really bringing some subtlety and layers. However brief the performance, I think it might be his best work to date. Additionally Emile Hirsch, who generally irritates me to no end, added a spark to the film that was pleasantly surprising. "
Steven Winn, arts and culture critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, reports, "The film tells its story in fatefully somber, operatically enhanced flashback, with Milk speaking into a tape recorder in eerie anticipation of his possible assassination." He thought it "hews closely to Milk's political career, which included several unsuccessful runs for supervisor. The film also depicts Milk's love life and the burgeoning gay sensibility and rage ignited in San Francisco and beyond by this galvanic figure." For Winn, Penn, "plays the title role in a richly textured performance sure to evoke visceral memories of one of the first openly gay people to win major elective office in the country."
(Focus Features)
