When it was announced that Gus Van Sant was stepping out of the indie realm again to direct a biopic of renowned politician and gay rights activist, Harvey Milk, skeptics would have been right to reach for their copy of 1984's Oscar-winning documentary, The Life And Times Of Harvey Milk, and shrugged this one off as being something of a political chancer. Using this doc as one of his primary sources, Penn embodied the character and spirit of the self-styled Mayor Of Castro Street, playing the man with camp and savvy style. Aided by Van Sant's eye-catching period direction, character play - Penn's best moments include scenes where he agitates Josh Brolin's straight-laced fellow politician, Dan White, the man who would soon be his assassin - his interpretation of Milk garnered yet more plaudits and, of course, his second Academy Award. As it stands, this remains the last great Penn performance.