Far more important than that coincidental background, however, is the fact that the movie gave Elfman the opportunity to stretch his wings in the category of wholesome drama, a genre that has largely eluded him over the years. He considered the assignment a great challenge, though he triumphs in providing the title character with a purely positive musical identity. While Elfman battled with the right tone for the picture's message, at least he didn't have to compete with Van Sant's chosen source material. Elfman knew the boundaries of the score from the start of his involvement and was not asked to form any sort of bridge between the source pieces and his own material. After much consideration, Elfman decided to center the score around one idea he termed the "purposeful theme" and applied that dramatic string writing to Milk's ascension and, primarily, to the climactic scene in "Give 'Em Hope." He tackled this cue first when writing his score, spinning off the remainder of the material after hitting the right motivational, though still slightly bittersweet vibe for that scene. Variations on this idea are heard in the "Harvey's Theme" cues, and this music is, undoubtedly, the most wholesome string and woodwind material to come from Elfman in a long time, raising memories of even Alan Silvestri's more optimistic, personal themes. The actual progressions of this theme (or any of the other repeating phrases in the score, which are, by Elfman's admission, relatively few) aren't blatantly obvious or even particularly memorable. But it's the tone of the performance that matters, and this is where Elfman succeeds. The trio of cues from "Harvey's Last Day" to "Postscript" offer some of Elfman's most pastoral, peaceful, and yet inspiring material to date, all without bursting with a fully orchestral explosion of melodrama that could have turned Milk into a caricature. The most interesting aspect of Milk is Elfman's ability to explore new genres while still maintaining staples of his own distinct styles. This was evident to an extent in Standard Operating Procedure but is quite obvious in Milk.

This score is, from start to finish, saturated with Elfman's usual instrumental and rhythmic tendencies. From the small chopping sets of strings to the slight electric bass tones and the innocent boy's choir, Milk is, in each of its cues, always reminiscent of Elfman's larger body of works. This comment is both the score's greatest strength and potentially its fatal weakness for some listeners. The snappy "Anita's Theme," which Elfman thankfully only employed once in the score, is a bizarre combination of material so blatantly pulled from the pages of Edward Scissorhands and (more so) To Die For that it really leaves you scratching your head. Comedic interludes like "Dog Poo" are likewise awkward shifts back to Elfman's more creatively funny side, and this material somewhat diminishes the scope of importance otherwise existing in cues like the immediately subsequent "Vote Passes," which translates the main theme into solemn solo trumpet. On the whole, there is much to admire about Elfman's work for Milk; it is a satisfying conclusion to a very strong year for the composer. But while he hits all the right notes in terms of balancing personality with history, there is an intangible sense of weight missing from this score. Elfman sacrifices gravity for intimacy, partly in the composition and partly in his close recording mix of the performance. In its album presentation, the score is typically heard through soloists in close proximity, sometimes restrained to a single piano. This technique assists noir elements like that piano and a saxophone, among others, to shine, but it also eliminates the score's opportunity to transcend to a level of greatness to which some still consider for Milk. The album thankfully consolidates over 35 minutes of Elfman's material to a section following six songs heard in the film. Don't be surprised if you see this score receive ample consideration during the awards season, especially considering the studio's push in the major awards categories, but while it offers a refreshingly dramatic twist on Elfman's usual style, it also fails to really make a statement that lasts beyond the confines of its running time.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download