From Here to Eternity

So I've decided that I'm going to marry James Franco. This is because he is absolutely amazing in every way...I learned enough about him from his Wikipedia page, and of course, from drooling over him in every movie I've watched that features his perfect face. Naturally, that's enough for me to determine that he is actually my soul mate despite the fact that he's at least fifteen years older than me. Age is just a number.

My James Franco preference became a James Franco obsession when I conquered Milk(2008) on Saturday and saw how effortlessly he pulled off a sensitive gay man's role even though by nature, he is a deliciously macho straight man. Even more impressive than Franco is Sean Penn, who practically becomes Harvey Milk reincarnated as he sinks into the role of a flamboyant homosexual politician. The mayor of Castro Street has never seemed more real to those of us born long after his tragic assassination.
Milk informs, inspires, and eventually devastates as it climbs towards those inevitable gunshots that simultaneously ended and began so much. I have to admit that I found myself reaching for the tissue box at the end of this one, crushed by the very personal loss of the enigmatic character we have come to love over the course of the film. A surprisingly engrossing biopic worth a second look.

Now maybe it's just my teenage bias against super old movies, but I just couldn't get into Gaslight(1944), though I had just survived two consecutive sleepovers so my sleep deprivation could have been a contributing factor to my inability to keep my eyes open. Sure, it was riddled with intrigue, mystery, twists, and all that, but the slow, wordy manner in which it was delivered did not spark my gaslight (get it?? punnny??). It just kept going and going...I thought the thing was going to last from here to eternity.
I don't think that sort of plot development is an inherent flaw of the film by any means...I just think that movies were made differently 75 years ago, and those of us who have never been exposed to such ancient methods have a hard time enjoying those old melodramas. At least, that's the case for me.

On an unrelated note, I think I've come to accept that as a general rule, I'm the only one who reads these posts. That's alright with me...I think I just use this blog as a way to keep me on track with the challenge and ensure that I actually think about the movies I've seen. However, if there's anyone out there who does read this, I'd appreciate any sort of contact...
When I started this blog, I envisioned some sort of Julie and Julia-esque success, through which I achieved international acclaim and got invited to host the Oscars and attend every premiere forever. That isn't going to happen, but I'm still halfway crossing my fingers!