Milk.

It seems to me that there is a wide difference between a movie and a film. Sure, both are captured on the same medium, edited similiarly, packed and sent off in reels to theaters, played, judged for awards, enjoyed to the delights of popcorn and candy. But movies have a very specific formula, a recipe card written by Walt Disney, as to what will make an audience laugh, what will get them to cry, heartwarmed, outraged, etc. Not to say movies are bad, I've seen some great movies in my lifetime. But I would much rather watch a film; a story with character not just characters. Lately, I've seen some really fantastic films that touch me in a more unique, genuine fashion than, say, The Dark Knight or Harry Potter, both excellent for their genre, except they really miss the heart of the matter. In the past few weeks, I've gone to see Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, and Milk. These, alongside Into The Wild, Pi, and Children of Men, have made a serious impact on me. Milk was my most recent film. I thought James Franco was amazing. I don't even know what it was that struck me, but something definitely did. Diego Luna is my Stella's favorite actor, and I was so pleased to see him in that role. Emile Hirsch is just a favorite in general, I was completely sold on Into The Wild, and he was just so great in Milk. These actors are all really talented and played their characters in a genuine way. Acting as a gay person can be done completely insensitively, or in a completely artistic fashion, and I think the three of them, plus Sean Penn, did a wonderful, wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the gay rights movement. Oddly enough, (for those of you who have seen the ending) this movie brightened my day. There is just something nice about seeing a really important thing brought to life and portrayed so well.

More later.
Smile! Tonight I can.
-JElizabeth