Grade A "Milk"

Usually a Netflix movie only comes to my mailbox once. I watch it, and if I really like it, I end up buying it. If I don't like it, then back in the mailbox it goes, never to be seen again. "Milk" (2008) is the one exception to this rule. As I was preparing for my cross-country move and the emotions were running deep, "Milk" found its way to my home. I kept it for a whole month, thinking that one day I would feel up for watching it; up for the emotional investment I would have to put in. However, after that much time a friend convinced me to just return it and get a comedy instead. He insisted I keep away from dramas until my real-life drama had passed. Six months later, settled in my new home, I was finally ready to invite "Milk" back.

Don't get me wrong, I was very excited about this movie. That's why I kept it so long - because I really wanted to see it. Sometimes I wish I were a little less high maintenance when it comes to movies...

The movie details the latter part of Harvey Milk's life, as he goes from partly-closeted corporate drone, to proud gay businessman, to his eventual election as San Francisco City Supervisor in 1977. Why is his life important? Because he was a gay rights activist and California's first openly gay elected official. (Note: Though some media shorthanded this to mean the "United States' first openly gay elected official," that title actually belongs to a woman named Kathy Kozachenko who was elected to the Ann Arbor City Council in 1974.)

"Milk" is inspirational on many levels. The first is a basic human level. This is a story of a man who didn't achieve, or even begin pursuing, his dreams until his forties. That he was able to change his life and accomplish so much at that point in his life should calm anyone's fears about having to know exactly what you want out of life from a very young age. The second level is his political activism. He led protests and fought for gay rights in San Francisco and nationwide. This level may be harder for those viewers who disagree with these politics - you know, that radical idea of equal rights for all people. That's another blog entirely though. Suffice it to say, I was totally inspired.

Sean Penn won an Oscar for this role and it was well-deserved. He completely disappears in the character of Harvey Milk. From his appearance to his voice and mannerisms, there is no sign of the actor here. In fact, most of the supporting cast, including James Franco and Emile Hirsch, accomplishes the same thing, making this a completely immersive movie experience.

A little history, a little Oscar, and a little emotional pull...that's a pretty big bang for your buck. Plus, having watched it makes me feel a little less guilty about watching some of my lighter favorites. Here's looking at you, "27 Dresses."

"Shutter Island": Sequel to "Couples Retreat?"

When I first saw the "Shutter Island" trailer in the fall of 2009, I remember turning to my movie companion and rolling my eyes. It's funny how superior you feel during movie previews, easily scoffing at what may have been someone's life's work. I rolled my eyes mostly because the movie looked scary and I'm not really a fan of scary. Turns out, the movie wasn't marketed quite right. "Paranormal Activity," this is not.

When a film is continually delayed as this one was, it makes me skeptical. Just what is so wrong with the movie that it can't be released? I mean, they throw movies like the entire "Saw" franchise into the theaters almost immediately after wrapping shooting (it seems) and things turn out just fine. What happened to "Shutter Island" then? Maybe that's the real question we should be pondering instead of the plot-supplied mysteries.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo are 1950s U.S. Marshals (We ARE Marshal(l)...) assigned to investigate an escaped patient on Shutter Island, the home of a government-run mental hospital. As the investigation goes on, we flash back to DiCaprio's past in the military and into his mind. To me, these are some of the best parts of the movie. They are visually stunning and don't obey any laws of physics or common sense; they're dreamlike. From these glimpses into his mind, we discover that DiCaprio has something else to solve besides the case of the escaped patient. The rest of the movie plays on the audience's ideas about what's really going on and quickly changes course once you think you understand.

While DiCaprio's performance is of course moving and effective, Michelle Williams' performance as his wife stands out for me. It's hauntingly beautiful and works exactly as a supporting role should; her performance motivates DiCaprio's actions and gives his performance its emotional weight.

For all its beauty and great performances, "Shutter Island" feels stunningly...average. I feel like I've seen variations of this story many times before which, is true, can be said of many movie plots. There just wasn't much that stood out to make this movie all that memorable. Call me crazy.

A journey down "Revolutionary Road" is depressing, but worthwhile

Are things going too well in your life? Do you feel you're in a good mood far too much during the day? Are you looking to turn that smile upside down? Luckily, nothing has to go wrong in your real life to achieve these results. Simply rent "Revolutionary Road" and wait for the depression to wash over you.

I waited forever and a day to finally watch this movie. Oh sure it tempted me with its crisp white posters and 1950s setting, but I resisted because I knew that this was not a happy movie. Instead, because I was so interested in the story, I read the book. And it ripped my heart out, chapter by chapter. So I knew what I was getting into when, a year later, I finally let "Road" get to the top spot of my Netflix queue.

I would call "Road" a reunion movie in that it brings Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet back together on screen for the first time since "Titanic." I love the idea of reunion movies ("You've Got Mail") but not always the results (you heard me, "Runaway Bride"). Leo and Kate have great chemistry and are completely believable as a young couple in 1950s Connecticut.

This believability is what makes this movie so affecting to the viewer. The domestic drama concerns the day-to-day life of April and Frank Wheeler, a seemingly perfect young suburban couple. Through brief flashbacks we piece together how these people ended up together and, more importantly, how they ended up keeping up with the Joneses. No matter what your feelings are on suburbs, the scene in which the Wheelers first see their new home feels so foreboding that you might not be able to drive down a tree-lined street without shuddering after you see it.

And that's what this movie is good at: turning innocent-looking, everyday scenes into haunting portrayals of a marriage (and lives) in crisis. The sparse, sterile sets help to create this mood, but the silent suffering of the actors is what makes the mood so enveloping. The Wheelers feel stuck in the lives they fell into while trying to do what was expected. The characters move back and forth between silent loathing and yelling the most awful things at each other. You won't believe people can be so mean to one another.

"Revolutionary Road" is visually beautiful and emotionally draining. If you can't let go of Rose and Jack from "Titanic," just imagine that this is what their lives would have been like had they both survived the shipwreck. On second thought, it's probably better that Jack just had to freeze to death. That's like a walk in the park compared to what these people go through.