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.