I'm itching to see Milk. It's not because of the cool initial production still above, which comes from Entertainment Weekly. It's not because of Gus Van Sant, since he has disappointed me many times. It's because of Sean Penn -- but not because of fandom. He does so many heavy roles, and is so known for his seriousness, that it's hard to remember sometimes that he is Jeff Spicoli. But now he's also Harvey Milk.

Playing the first openly gay man to win an election in a major U.S. city, Penn has got to get happy, and as producer Dan Jinks explained to EW, he "is playing a guy who's not at all like him, way beyond the sexuality of the character. Harvey was this guy who wants everybody to love him, and he loves everybody else. Sean just completely became that guy. It's a real transformation."

If he really hits this out of the ballpark, it'll be a change to see a serious man get award cred for getting happy, rather than vice versa. Now if we could only get him in another Ridgemont sort of flick...

Oh, grumble. One of my favorite movies of last year, Marjane Sartrapi's Persepolis, is being released in an English-language version. Alright, I know, I know. Probably releasing an English-language version will ensure this excellent film is seen by many people who would otherwise be turned off by the need to read subtitles. I get that, really I do. But still, a part of me cringes at the notion that a dubbed version of the film is coming out. I hate dubs, even of anime films (case in point: the charming Kiki's Delivery Service, which I absolutely loved in the original Japanese version, wasn't nearly as delightful in the English-dubbed version with Kirsten Dunst and Phil Hartman).

When I'm checking out a foreign film, I always go for the subtitled version over the dubbed. There's something about hearing the dialog in the orginal language that just makes it feel so much more authentic to me. Of course, when I'm reading the book version, such as with The Complete Persepolis, I need the English version, because I don't read French well (but I'd love to have a copy that has the words in French with an English translation!). For a movie, though, I'd much rather read the subtitles and hear the original language.

Maybe the most irritating thing about Roland Emmerich's generally unwatchable 10,000 BC was leading man Steven Strait's bizarre accent. Totally indeterminate -- he trilled his r's and drawled occasionally -- it was clearly meant to indicate in some uncertain way that what we're watching takes place a Very Long Time Ago. Hello? The movie is called 10,000 BC and the characters are already speaking English. Making them speak weird English isn't exactly adding verisimilitude. I don't know who Emmerich thought he was fooling.

I always find this sort of thing annoying, and sometimes vaguely insulting. I'm perfectly fine with characters who speak English even though they're not supposed to -- it's easier that way, and I can suspend disbelief. But if you're going to go that route, why add constant, pointless reminders of the very fact you're trying to dodge? Part of the reason I admire The Hunt for Red October is that John McTiernan said "screw it" and let Sean Connery keep his Scottish brogue as a Soviet submarine captain.*

I'm sorry I never had the chance to see Into the Wild when it was originally released in theaters, because it probably would've been a nice experience to watch up on the big screen. Needless to say, it's still one of the best films from 2007, and one that was kind of overlooked once flicks like No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood and Juno hit the streets. Into the Wild isn't the kind of film you watch for set pieces, story points or character arcs -- it's an "experience" film; whether or not we like Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) as a person or believe in whatever it is he's trying to achieve, we're stuck with him -- forced to join him on this journey across the country.

And we feel for him; we feel for his friends, we feel for his family -- but we can't help but get sucked up in the beauty of life, of nature. I don't fully agree with James' review of this film when it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year, though I completely understand how McCandless, as a character and a person, might not be the most likable guy. He makes choices we don't understand, and while he may appear as if he's out to intentionally hurt the ones he loves -- all he's really hurting is himself. But McCandless never saw it that way. This is what he wanted. This is the road he chose to walk down. Based on the best-selling book by Jon Krakauer, and directed by Sean Penn, this is a story that's magnificent and heartbreaking all at once. Yet that's exactly the way McCandless lived his life, and I imagine it's the way he'll always be remembered.

The big indie DVD release this week is Sean Penn's cinematic version of the true-life adventure story Into the Wild, starring Emile Hirsch and Hal Holbrook. But there are several other intriguing new titles that you might have missed during their theatrical engagements, starting with Susanne Bier's Things We Lost in the Fire. By our usual definitions, it's not really an "indie," since it was released by a big Hollywood studio (Paramount Pictures), but I think Bier's distinctive directorial vision is the very definition of "independent." It's certainly not an easy film to watch or to like, yet the performance by Benicio del Toro is a knock out and I think a rental is justified. The DVD includes deleted scenes and a discussion about the film.

When he saw My Kid Could Paint That at Sundance, Scott Weinberg wrote: "I love a documentary that doles out both sides of an interesting story and then forces you to decide for yourself where the truth actually lies." Directed by Amir Bar-Lev, the documentary tells the story of a four-year-old girl who may -- or may not -- be an immensely talented artist. Sony Pictures Classics' DVD includes an audio commentary and two behind-the-scenes features.

An intimate drama that divided festival audiences, Chilean filmmaker Matías Bize's En La Cama (In Bed) sets all the action in a single motel room as a man and a woman alternately have passionate sex and engage in spirited debates. This sounds like a couples film -- as long as the couple is comfortable watching softcore porn together. Koch Lorber's DVD includes deleted scenes, a bonus interview, rehearsals, TV spots, and a short film by the director.

Yesterday, Erik brought us the first look at Sean Penn as the famous Harvey Milk. But look a little closer and there are just a few more tidbits to be had. Slashfilm's pictures from the set of Gus Van Sant's biopic gave us Penn in a full hippie beard, but you can also get a look at Emile Hirsch (Speedracer) as Cleve Jones in all his 70's glory. As a child of the 70's it never fails to surprise me the truly 'interesting' fashion choices that were happening back then. At what point did we all agree that those glasses were a good idea?

Now for a quick history lesson on Harvey Milk for the uninitiated. Milk was one of the first openly gay city supervisors in San Francisco. His career highlights were sponsoring a bill for gay rights as well defeating the controversial Briggs Initiative. Well that and a poop and scoop ordinance, but such is the life of city councilor. Despite Milk's growing popularity in the city, it wasn't all hearts and flowers. Milk's life and trailblazing career came to a tragic end when Dan White, a fellow public servant (and rampant homophobe), shot and murdered Milk along with Mayor George Moscone in 1978.

Along with Penn in the title role (surprisingly doing a good job of capturing the perennially upbeat Milk), the cast also includes Josh Brolin as Dan White and Victor Garber (Alias) as Mayor Moscone. Hirsch will play Cleve Jones, a friend of Milk, and a gay rights activist who had worked for Milk as a student intern. Milk is still filming on location in San Francisco and set to arrive in theaters later this year.

Is it me, or does someone look like he needs either a joint or a bath? Slashfilm has snagged the first photos of Sean Penn from off the set of the new Gus Van Sant flick, Milk. Penn plays Harvey Milk in the biopic, who, back in 1977, became California's first openly gay official when he was voted to the city supervisor's board of San Francisco. One year later -- and this may be a spoiler warning for those not in the know -- Milk, along with the city's mayor George Mascone, were assassinated by another city supervisor, Dan White. Also starring in the film are Josh Brolin (White), Emile Hirsch (Cleve Jones), Victor Garber (Moscone), Denis O'Hare (Senator Brigg) and James Franco is rumored to be playing Scott Smith (according to the IMDb).

As Slashfilm points out with their photos, parts of the Castro District in San Francisco have been magically given a 70's-style facelift, including one such storefront that's housing Milk's campaign headquarters (see photo after the jump). At one point, director Bryan Singer wanted to direct his own Harvey Milk biopic called The Mayor of Castro Street, but there's been no word on that for awhile (apparently it needed a rewrite). Milk is due out later this year. Check out more photos after the jump ...

Slashfilm now has the first on-set photos from Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk biopic, Milk. As we all know, Bryan Singer's competing Milk film, The Mayor of Castor Street, has been parked in development hell. Now it looks like Van Sant's film will be the first Hollywood life-story of the legendary mayor of San Francisco, so get ready for a little stroll down memory lane since most of these photos are of the local spots in the area being given a 1970's makeover.

For those of you not familiar with Milk's legacy, he was, "an American politician and gay rights activist, was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco, California, and therefore, according to Time magazine, 'the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet.'" The perpetually dour Sean Penn will play Milk, and most gossip had Matt Damon in the role of Milk's murderer and co-worker, Dan White. Now it's looking like Josh Brolin will step in. Other cast members include Emile Hirsch, James Franco, and Diego Luna

While most of the focus had been on whether Penn could pull off the congenial and upbeat Milk, I have to admit I'm a little nervous on the directing end of things as well. As much as I respect Van Sant, I wonder whether he is willing to make a more 'conventional' biopic. It might be the only way to introduce as many people as possible to this invaluable figure in gay rights, rather than alienating them with something a little more along the lines of Last Days. Milk is set to open in theaters later this year.

If you're a ravenous movie nerd like me, than there's very little in Barry Levinson's "inside baseball" Hollywood movie What Just Happened? If, on the other hand, you don't know a whole lot about studio politics, the angst of test-market screenings, and the tricks that movie-makers (or, more specifically, movie-sellers) will pull just to get a festival screening and a huge opening weekend, then you'll most likely get a whole bunch of chuckles out of the flick. To those who know about this stuff all too well, the comedy should still make for an interesting enough diversion -- thanks mainly to a massive, colorful cast and a few solid jabs that hit Hollywood right in the kisser.

Based on producer Art Linson's book What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line, the film version tells the story of one very successful Hollywood producer, and the ways in which he juggles multiple professional crises, as well as some prickly domestic issues at the same time. Robert De Niro is our movie producer, doing his best "sly" comedic work since (probably) Wag the Dog. John Turturro is the archetypal agent: skittish, shifty, and packing a nasty ulcer. Stanley Tucci is the writer who needs our protagonist for professional reasons, but pursues his ex-wife (Robin Wright Penn) for other activities. Michael Wincott is the drug-infested director whose ultra-edgy film is being mangled by horrifying studio boss Catherine Keener.

Toss in some supremely amusing "self-mocking" performances from movie stars Bruce Willis and Sean Penn, and you've got the makings of a flick best described as "movie geek heaven." And while What Just Happened? is by all means a colorful and generally pretty funny expose of modern-day Hollywood, it often feels like Levinson and Linson (he also penned the screenplay adaptation) are content to preach to the choir. It's meant to be outrageous and unbelievable how art turns into pure commerce, but there have been plenty of Hollywood satires that demolish the "test screening" mentality, the "beleaguered producer" conceit, and the oh-so-cynical insinuation that Hollywood has no integrity whatsoever. So while much of the material in What Just Happened? is insightful and accurate ... it's just not all that new or shocking anymore.

Between upcoming high-profile work as an actor (including a role as Harvey Milk and his voice work for the English dub of Persepolis), and the honors, acclaim and awards nominations for Into the Wild, it's been a great year for Sean Penn professionally. And now it seems 2008 is going to be just as interesting for the writer-actor-director, as Variety brings news that Penn will serve as the head of the Cannes jury for the 2008 edition of the international event.

Penn's quote about the honor suggests he's facing his duties with enthusiasm: "In the last few years it seems there has been a rejuvenation of cinema building worldwide; increasingly thoughtful, provocative, moving, and imaginative films by talented filmmakers: that a new generation of filmmaking may have begun." The Cannes jury is comprised of nine people; jury presidents of the recent past at Cannes have included Stephen Frears, Wong Kar-Wai and Quentin Tarantino. As Variety notes, this isn't he first time Penn's been honored by Cannes; he received a prize for best Male Performance in 1997 from that year's jury (headed by Isabelle Adjani) for his work in Nick Casavettes's She's So Lovely.

The best movie year since 1999, 2007 offered a staggering bounty of cinematic delights. I keep track of all the movies I see in a given year and give each a letter grade, "A" through "F". Usually my Top Ten list consists of all of the "A's" and a few "B's." This year, "A" pictures made up my top twenty. With so many great films, I won't wallow through a "Worst of the Year" list, I'll simply present you with a few that didn't fully satisfy:

The Biggest Disappointment: The Darjeeling Limited -- A Louis Vuitton commercial stretched to feature length. The Darjeeling Limited is a perfect title for the film because it makes plain what a limited filmmaker the once great Wes Anderson has become. Hey Wes, people running in slow-motion while a Kinks song plays is always going to look pretty neat. But if there's absolutely nothing else going on in the scene, then that's all it is -- people running in slow-motion while a Kinks song plays. We all think it's really cool that you like The Kinks. Hell, I love those guys! The Rolling Stones are awesome, too! But I wouldn't ask them to do my job for me.

and...

The Biggest Question Mark: There Will Be Blood

Undoubtedly one of the year's most impressive technical achievements, There Will Be Blood is frequently stunning. It's so stunning, in fact, that it's easy to overlook how infuriatingly empty it all is. The film focuses on two main characters, and neither one changes a lick in thirty years and 158 minutes. How did Paul Thomas Anderson, creator of such deeply emotional rides as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch Drunk Love come up with a movie completely devoid of human emotion? (I'm not counting greed.) Beautiful, brilliant, and boring in equal doses, I've seen Blood twice, and I still don't know if it's a masterpiece or a mess. I just know I felt...nothing watching it. It's as hollow, as frustrating, as difficult to know as its "hero," Daniel Plainview.

On to my list. First, ten that didn't quite make the cut. Here's #20 through #11: (#20) Breach, (#19) Once, (#18) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, (#17) Sicko, (#16) Sweeney Todd, (#15) The Lives of Others, (#14) Eastern Promises, (#13) Zodiac, (#12) Atonement, (#11) Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

And my Top Ten is after the jump...

After all the comments in reviews about The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford being Terrence Malick-ish, it appears that Brad Pitt wants the real deal. According to Variety, Pitt is in talks to star alongside Sean Penn in Malick's next film, Tree of Life. Already the film has seen cast replacements; first attached were Mel Gibson and Colin Farrell, then Penn and Heath Ledger. Now it's Ledger who is out (perhaps because Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is expected to go long?) with Pitt set to replace him. As Variety points out, Pitt's consideration of the role is interesting after bailing from State of Play, for which he would have made a whole lot more money. The trade also clears up that Penn's part will be fairly minor in comparison to Pitt's.

As I said in my previous post on the film, the plot of Tree of Life is unknown, but it may have something to do with a Minotaur (like in Gilliam's Time Bandits? no probably not like that). And it may be shot in India. Apparently the film has roots in a project Malick began thirty years ago called Q, which originally focused on World War I and eventually became an eon-spanning story. All that is known is that production begins in the Spring. Maybe, just maybe, it can hold on to this cast until then. These actor swaps are making my head spin. Unfortunately, neither Pitt nor Penn are locked into the film yet, so it's very possible we could see more casting coverage of Tree of Life before the cameras are in place.

I once thought that Matt Damon was the only actor suitable to portray Dan White. But that was a whole month ago, before I saw Josh Brolin in American Gangster and No Country for Old Men. Now I'm satisfied that he too would be great as the bad guy in Gus Van Sant's Milk, and fortunately enough, he's close to being cast in the role. According to Variety, Brolin is in negotiations to replace the never-quite-locked-in Damon as the man who assassinated two prominent city officials in 1978. For those of you not living in the Bay Area in the late '70s and who haven't seen the Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk and who haven't been reading my coverage of this movie, Milk dramatizes the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician, who served as a San Francisco county supervisor before being shot by his former co-worker Dan White. Also killed by White at the same time was S.F. Mayor George Moscone.

While I still kinda wish Damon was attached, I have an easier time picturing Brolin under that little boy haircut of White's. Of course, just as Damon would have, Brolin will need a prosthetic dimple chin in order to get the look just right. Then again, it might be bad if he looks too much like the real White, who was eventually convicted of manslaughter and who later took his own life after serving five years in prison. The actor portraying the title character is Sean Penn, and he hardly looks anything like Milk. Anyway, it sure wouldn't be the first time an actor didn't look much like the famous person he or she is playing.

Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Emile Hirsch and James Franco are also in negotiations to star, with Hirsch playing gay rights activist Cleve Jones and Franco playing Milk's lover and campaign manager, Scott Smith.

Riding a wave of near-unanimous praise, Andrew Wagner's Starting Out in the Evening began its box office sojourn at the top, earning an estimated $11,610 per screen at seven theaters, according to Leonard Klady at Movie City News. Wagner previously made the fascinating dysfunctional family comedy drama The Talent Given Us, which starred his own family, but this time performances by non-family members Frank Langella and Lauren Ambrose have been roundly acclaimed. (Check out reviews by Cinematical's James Rocchi and Ryan Stewart.)

Todd Haynes' I'm Not There has received some ecstatic critical response, which translated into "encouraging but less than superlative response," in the words of Mr. Klady. By the numbers, the film made an estimated $5,310 per screen at 130 engagements, which actually sounds pretty good for an unconventional film that even the critics have had difficulty getting a handle on. (Read more: Cinematical reviews by James Rocchi and Jeffrey M. Anderson.)

The third new specialty release, Izuru Narushima's Midnight Eagle, barely opened, earning an estimated $1,630 per screen at two theaters. The action thriller also opened the Tokyo Film Festival but is probably most notable because it's the first time in memory that a Japanese film has opened day and date in Japan and the United States. Sadly, it was slaughtered by the few US critics who saw it, as recorded at Rotten Tomatoes.

Margot at the Wedding expanded from two to 35 theaters and continued to perform well, raking in $11,200 per screen, while No Country for Old Men jumped out into 860 theaters and made an estimated $9,000 per engagement. Mr. Klady pointed to three holdovers: Sean Penn's Into the Wild ($1,920 per screen), Alejandro Monteverde's Bella ($1,970 per screen) and Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead ($3,190).

Over at Deadline Hollywood Daily, Nikki Finke has something extra to be thankful for today: to thank her for her tireless coverage of the WGA strike, WGAW president Patrick Verrone has granted her exclusive posting of the WGA's "Speechless" internet videos over the holiday weekend. The vids, conceived of by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, will feature SAG actors in short pieces that support the concept that without the writers, there would be no movies.

By making these as videos to be shown exclusively on the internet, the WGA also makes a point about internet residuals, which are part of the beef the writers have with the rich moguls Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. As of now, "Speechless #1," with Holly Hunter," Speechless #2," featuring husband-and-wife Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, and "Speechless #3," with Sean Penn (is it just me, or is looking more and more like Robert DeNiro as he ages? And when did he get that old? And ... good grief, am I that old now?) are live. Check back at Deadline Hollywood Daily throughout the weekend for more video fun. Who else can you expect to see? From Finke's site:

"Included are SAG talent such as Sean Penn, Holly Hunter, Laura Linney, Alan Cumming, Jay Leno, Harvey Keitel, Kate Beckinsale, Tina Fey, Tim Robbins, Gary Marshall, David Schwimmer, Patricia Clarkson, James Franco, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Martin Sheen, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, Andre 3000, Chazz Palminteri, Jason Bateman, Christine Lahti, Patricia Arquette, Jenna Elfman, Olivia Wilde, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Eva Longoria, Justine Bateman, Joshua Jackson, Rosanna Arquette, Diane Ladd, Rebecca Romjin, Minnie Driver, Nicollette Sheridan, Robert Patrick, Matthew Perry, Ed Asner, and America Ferrera and the cast of Ugly Betty. Arrangements have been made to also shoot Woody Allen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jane Fonda, Marisa Tomei, Ethan Hawke, Jason Alexander, Charlize Therone, Minnie Driver, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Many, many more are also in the works."

It's very cool that all these actors are stepping up to support the writers in their strike, and I have to give props to Finke for her relentless dedication to covering the strike. Here's hoping that when talks resume on November 26, things will get resolved quickly, with the writer's getting what they deserve.