Movies & TV - Feb. 19, 2009
Helping Oscar handicap the Best Actor nominees
Will Brad Pitt win a statue for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"? Will Frank Langella's portrayal of Richard Nixon carry the day? Can Sean Penn break through for "Milk"? What about Richard Jenkins (pictured in "The Visitor")? OnMilwaukee.com movie expert Mark Metcalf considers all the candidates for Best Actor and makes his selection inside.
Tags: academy awards, best actor, sean penn, frank langella, brad pitt, richard jenkins, mark metcalf

Movies & TV - Dec. 7, 2008
Metcalf's Screening Room: Gus Van Sant's "Milk"
it is a perfect time for a film like "Milk." And it is a nearly perfect film for the time. There is great performance by Sean Penn. Less of the operatic intensity of "Mystic River" and more of the whimsy and joy of "Sweet and Lowdown." But the seriousness of purpose is there. Sean Penn is the best leading man as character actor that we have right now.
Tags: milk, harvey milk, gus van sant, emile hirsch, sean penn

Movies & TV - Sept. 22, 2006
"King's Men" fails to engage audience
“All the King’s Men” chalked up another disappointing night at the movies as it was the second movie based on a novel released this month that didn’t live up to expectations.
Tags: sean penn, all the king's men, jude law, kate winslet

Movies & TV - Jan. 21, 2005
Penn's performance stuns in "Assassination"
Don't let the title fool you, "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" is not a documentary. Nor is it anything like Oliver Stone's "JFK." Instead the film, set in 1974, is a psychological portrait of a regular guy pushed to the brink.
Tags: Nixon, Niels Mueller, JFK, Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Bicke

Movies & TV - Jan. 18, 2005
"Nixon" director finds inspiration for his work in Brew City
Whitefish Bay native Niels Mueller directed "The Assassination of Richard Nixon," a film starring Sean Penn that's based on a true story, but some of the details were lifted from Mueller's personal experiences growing up in Milwaukee.
Tags: Niels Mueller, Nixon, Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Cheadle, assassination, hijack, Bicke

Movies & TV - May 31, 2002
Intriguing "Dogtown" not just for skate fans
If you're not a skateboarder or a fan of thos high-flying, death-defying xtreme sportsmen, don't worry, "Dogtown and Z-Boys," a documentary about the rise of modern skateboarding in 1970s Los Angeles, is gripping enough to keep you interested.
Tags: Intriguing "Dogtown" not just for skate fans, skateboard, Sean Penn, Stacy Peralta

Movies & TV - Feb. 2, 2001
"Before Night Falls" captures Cuban contrasts
In this award-winning film, director Julian Schnabel tells the story of Reinaldo Arenas' life, drawing upon the author's eponymous autobiographical book and on his novels "Hallucinations," "The Color of Summer" and "The Palace of the White Skunks."
Tags: Reinaldo Arenas, Before Night Falls, Cuba, Javier Bardem, Julian Schnabel, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn

Movies & TV - Jan. 26, 2001
Penn strikes gold with "The Pledge"
Hollywood bad boy's third trip behind the camera is his best yet as a director. It's dark as night and not always pleasant to watch, but it's a superb psychological character study that pulls no punches.
Tags: Sean Penn, The Pledge, Jack Nicholson