Team Small Dog Reviews the movie Milk, even though you've already seen it.

Sometimes, we are very ahead of the curve. So fashion forward, that we are years and years ahead of what is going to miraculously pop up in style after we're over it. Like remember that time Grunge Wear was super fashionable and we had been wearing it for like, YEARS? Or how chunky goretex sneakers and saggy jeans with down vests are coming into style in about 3 years from now, mark my words? Other times, blissfully unaware of the style, such as super tall boots with high heels which we are now aware of and forgot to buy. Other times, just behind. Which is why we didn't make it to see the movie Milk until after it won it's Oscars.

Was on the to-do list but having a super busy schedule of falling asleep at 9pm on the living room couch really puts a damper on going to the movies. However, finally saw it. You know, that whole Sean Penn kicking Mickey Rourke ass in Oscars inspired me chug a gigantic, caffeine and sugar laden coke for dinner and off we went. Leaving the dogs to listen to the new idea for calm, stress free, non howling dogs when we leave of Classical Music on the radio. Totally weird, leaving the house and cranking up the Classical Music radio station. Didn't even know there was such a thing. Hope you enjoyed those violinic symphonic sounds, dogs.

You already saw this movie, every single one of you, I'm sure, so do I need to review it? You already told me how good all the acting was. And you saw lots of San Francisco and Sean Penn with a New York accent and Josh Brolin who was the good guy in No Country for Old Men but has the bad assassin guy hair from that movie in this movie where he is the deranged bad guy! And all the super '70's clothes which is maybe my favorite era of fashion design. Mustaches, stripes and denim all around. That whole Anita Bryant thing which I remember, even, but not sure in junior high was clued into the fact that it was a Major Civil Rights upheaval. Just remember this thing that Anita Bryant was evil and wanted to fire all my teachers. Not sure if I thought that because all my teachers were gay or I had the facts wrong in the '70's but there you go.

All the stars of this movie are great. Sean Penn, super genius usually. Although who totally irritated when he was a director with that stinker of a movie Into the Wild. Just be super genius actor and beater upper of papparrazzi, Sean Penn. James Franco, super adorable. He was one of my students a long time ago, teaching a digital media class at Cal Arts Summer School. Digital media, not his thing. One day, fell asleep at his computer. So we gathered every single student around him and just sat there staring at him for the longest time until he woke up. Sorry, James Franco. Glad that helped you not become a computer geek, making your little pictures in photoshop half heartedly and you moved out of art school on to bigger and better things. But always knew how to get away with anything from that super adorable smiley face you make. Emile Hirsch, super irritating as the guy who dies in the bus in Alaska being directed by irritating director Sean Penn, but super awesome in this movie.

Gus Van Sant, who kind of looked like Dan White at the Oscars, some of his older movies, my favorite movies ever. Very apt timing somehow of getting this movie to come out during another big civil rights travesty for gays. All the flash back and forward old San Francisco to now San Francisco totally creepy, because even though this is basically an inspiring, heartwarming film about a tragic murder, still showing that there's some super messed up values in our country when it comes to basic, human rights. Milk, as a movie, sort of more basic of a movie with occasional cheesy moments, but that was ok. Because there might be some parts of the country, Anita Bryant land, where cheesy moments make movies about gay rights come across more warm and fuzzy and palatable to an audience that votes with their movie ticket monies and usually prefers CheeWowWow movies.

On the dog agility lady scale, there are very few ladies, and very few dogs in this movie. There is the Glinda the Good Witch lesbian campaign director who appears in her magic bubble and totally works magic and helps Sean Penn win office. And you do get a lot of scary Anita Bryant footage that you might even remember from tv, and in the beginning you see that Sean Penn and James Franco have a dog and then it vanishes. Most people in San Francisco have dogs I think, so you just figure it's out with the dog walker a bunch. Can't tell you to go see this movie because you already did, but I just decided I would write a review because it's a really good movie. And, fyi, the classical music station my new thing for leaving the dogs at night because was ZERO howling when we got home. Possibly a coincidence, possible from them being bored to tears into sleep, but there's a little dog training hint for you, thanks to Milk.