'Milk' celebrates, rather than mourns, its hero
"Milk" The best thing about this stirring biopic is its tone. Most biopics treat their subjects with dreary reverence. "Milk," on the other hand, is a joyous celebration of its main character - Harvey Milk, the gay activist who was murdered in San Francisco in 1978. Sean Penn won an Oscar for his understated portrayal of Milk, who organized San Francisco's burgeoning gay community into a political force, becoming the country's first openly gay elected official as a result. Josh Brolin delivers an equally good performance (also nominated for an Oscar) as Dan White, Milk's political nemesis and killer. Director Gus Van Sant tells Milk's story with skill, but I missed the offbeat narrative techniques Van Sant displayed in earlier films like "My Own Private Idaho." That complaint aside, "Milk" pays eloquent tribute to a man whose life should be an inspiration to many. The DVD's extras are unspectacular, limited to deleted scenes and some short looks at the film and Harvey Milk the person. A Van Sant/Penn commentary would have made this release a must-buy. (R; Universal, $29.98)
"Role Models" I was on board with this consistently funny comedy even before the feel-good ending sealed the deal. Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott play a couple of 30ish men-children sentenced to community service after a traffic mishap. To fulfill their sentences, the two must serve as "big brothers" to at-risk kids from a social service agency. The script features plenty of Judd Apatow-style raunch, but with a refreshingly weird touch. Rudd and Scott have great chemistry, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who plays one of the kids, shows that his performance as McLovin in "Superbad" was no fluke. The ending is a gem, both hilarious and genuinely touching. The excellent DVD includes a commentary from director David Wain, plenty of behind-the-scenes material and a superfluous "unrated" with a few minutes of forgettable footage. (R; Universal, $29.98)
"Happy-Go-Lucky" Sally Hawkins creates an unforgettable character in this quirky comedy from British filmmaker Mike Leigh. Hawkins plays Poppy, an irrepressible, smiling, giggling schoolteacher who never stops talking and always looks on the bright side of things. In Leigh's usual loose, improvisational style, the movie tracks Poppy as she meets Mr. Wrong (her tense, angry driving instructor) and Mr. Right (a social worker at her school). Some people might lose patience with Leigh's style, which has the meandering quality of real life. But Hawkins is so great here that I never lost interest. The DVD includes a nice making-of featurette and a Leigh commentary. (R; Disney, $29.99)
"Primal Fear" (Hard Evidence Edition) This 1996 thriller would probably be mostly forgotten now except for one thing: It introduced the world to Edward Norton. Norton plays a stuttering, wide-eyed boy accused of murdering the powerful archbishop of Chicago. It's a juicy, tricky role, and Norton nails it. (He earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination.) His work definitely adds to the appeal of "Primal Fear," which otherwise is a by-the-numbers courtroom drama. This DVD reissue boasts a strong set of extras, including a commentary and a featurette that looks at the circumstances surrounding the casting of Norton. (R; Paramount, $14.99)
Also out this week "Howard the Duck: Special Edition" (Universal); "The Starter Wife, Season 1" (Universal); "Cadillac Records" (Sony); "South Park: Season 12" (Paramount).