So I'm watching Milk, yeah the one that won all the awards? Sean Penn? Well I just started watching it and from the first freakin ten minutes, my mind was blown. You know every year the academy awards roll around and some movie you've never even heard of is spoken as the contender for like.. thirteen hundred different awards and you go WHAT? I had to choose between this and Legends of Wrestlemania at the video store (it has the Piper in it!), boy am I glad I went with this instead.
But the first ten minutes.. Whoa. I like paying attention to actors, watching how they emote or try to mimic the real life expressions of someone who geniunely IS in that particular situation or is a particular person of sort. I don't know if there's anything more difficult than for a straight (supposedly) man to make out with another dude, on the big screen to boot. Vin Diesal would definitely be pulling out his hai.. uh, his pubic hairs out if this was something he had to do.
For one thing, you have to give yourself COMPLETELY to the character if you want to make him believable. You just can't flinch on-screen every time you're supposed to tongue-dive into another man's mouth. You have to totally transform yourself and commit each mannerism; no matter how vulgar it may be, to a part of your brain and allow it to be welcomed as a transient guest of your psyche.
I don't know. Could I do something like this on a whim just because I can or would I have to be paid millions of dollars to cope with the ruinous, most deadliest thing a man could do to himself? Because like I said, it takes a tremendous amount of acting ability to do a realistic job. I was going to say cojones as well, but considering the depths these straight men are descending to; I'm not sure if they do have balls.
And its not just Sean Penn doing a masterful job but James Franco of all people! You can see the little, twinge of his smile deliberately raise up as Sean Penn is about to deep-throat him in bed. Thats... that's impressive. It almost makes up for the tripe he's showed us in the Spiderman flicks. Almost.
Usually young actors these days are a greasy nickel a dozen. They come into the business, make three or four successful movies, a few flops, etc and then you never see or hear from (most) of them again. Flashes in the pan, like the entire cast of American Pie for instance (except Stifler, how the hell does he still get work after Bulletproof Monk?).
But Franco, Jesus,.. pulls it off masterfully, and so does Penn. I think it's the money, and the prestige these men are bending over backwards for. At least I don't think either of them said, "hey I've always wanted to pucker up with this guy!". Its gotta be the monies, or raising their stature in the industry. HAS to be, right?
So Milk gets a huge two thumbs up and a raised pinky for it's brilliance. Though most of the credit would have to go towards Penn / Franco, it just wouldn't work nearly as well had Carrot Top and Rob Schneider been casted.
And I almost felt like turning gay after watching it. That's not good.
