There's Oscar buzz aplenty for the biopic Milk so the studio, Focus, is getting the picture in front of editors and critics way in advance of its November 26 opening, which is why our editor, Jack Curry, was able to check it out last week. Here's his report, and you can watch the trailer below:

"I can't say what I think about it, that's part of the deal with an early look-see. I can, of course, relay the basic plot line: in the early 70s Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), a gay businessman in San Francisco, decides to run for various city positions, eventually becoming the first openly gay man elected to public office. A conflict with unbalanced fellow councilman Dan White (Josh Brolin) results in that man's assassinating both Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Beyond that I CAN say that the timing of the movie will probably influence how viewers will respond to it. Watching the film, which depicts the difficult early years of the gay movement, two days after witnessing the Obama election celebrations made its message of hope all the more compelling. The election of Milk may have been a small step in equality compared to the sea change represented by an Obama victory. But the movie's testament to America's essential broad mindedness was highly reminiscent of many of the commentaries prompted by last Tuesday's events. This is one man's opinion, and I have seen no attempt on the studio's part to, pardon me, milk the parallels to produce an audience. But for all the escapism that movies often and thankfully provide, sometimes one comes along that reflects a profound reality at a particularly pertinent time. I felt I was better off for seeing it."