Bill Maher could be the biggest piece of shit on this earth.
I thought he was too busy trying to promote his own documentary.
Jackman's performance got panned in many newspapers today. "Cruise ship entertainment". Heh. I thought it was old school and good.
As for Penn, I haven't seen Milk, and probably won't. But its like the Pulitzers with Michael Chambon with Cavalier and Clay : write about homosexuality and Jewish issues to a selection committee of homosexuals and Jews and you're going to get a sympathetic audience who relate to the content. The entertainment industry for a variety of reasons attracts gays. No matter how good Milk actually is or is not, a big chunk of the Academy are going to relate to the pro-gay sentiment of the movie.
As for Penn himself, I'm not very familiar with his body of work, other than Dead Man Walking, in which he was utterly brilliant. (only a really good actor could extract from an audience sympathy for an ignorant multiple rapist/murderer. The scene where Penn's character is tied and readied for lethal injection, and he is shaking like a dog through sheer fear of death, is really something to watch. I used to be in favour of the death penalty before I watched that movie.)
But there was one scene from Milk broadcast on the Awards night where Penn is standing and exhorting a crowd. He throws his arms up, smiling, and his wrists are bent out. My gaydar went into alert.
I'm guessing he is a very capable and adaptable actor.
Personally, I'm disappointed that Death Race didn't get a nomination. That girl in it was hawt.
