What was already an affecting story -- that of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to U.S. public office, who was shot to death by a fellow supervisor -- takes on greater power, and near-heartbreaking poignancy, in the face of recent political initiatives against gay marriage. But what ultimately carries the movie is Milk himself, whose outsized charisma and passion get their due in Sean Penn's fiery, feisty performance.