Gran Torino

Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2009)

THE SCOOP
Director: Clint Eastwood
Plot: Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino.

Genre: Crime/Drama
Awards: Nom. for 1 Golden Globe - original song.
Runtime: 116min
Rating: NC16 for language throughout, and some violence.

IN RETROSPECT
In 2006, legendary American film star Clint Eastwood directed two films devoted to the WWII battle of Iwo Jima - Flags Of Our Fathers, and the Japanese-language Letters From Iwo Jima - tackling the themes of war from both perspectives in what was perhaps an unprecedented attempt by any filmmaker to do so. He was seventy-six at that time. Last year alone, he made two films - Changeling, and Gran Torino (Singapore got a 2009 release). I have nothing but respect for Eastwood whose commitment to making good films is nothing short of inspiring. Where does he get all that energy and stamina? We all wonder.

Gran Torino is Eastwood’s biggest box-office hit to date, and yes, he directs, produces and stars in it. The film is an observation of the social woes that plague a small-town neighborhood in an American suburb. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a disgruntled Korean War veteran who lives alone following the passing of his wife. He owns a home with a small lawn that he maintains daily; drinks cans of beer on his front porch, and spends most of his time with his old pet dog. One day, his shy Hmonk neighbor, Thao, tries to steal his 1972 Gran Torino under peer pressure from a gang, marking the inauspicious beginning of Walt versus the Gang. That is just a sideshow though. Walt’s main aim is to reform Thao, imparting to him life skills and lessons in a bid to change him from a nobody whom bullies love to pick on into a brave, street-smart individual with a goal in life.

The character of Walt Kowalski brings back memories of Eastwood’s Dirty Harry persona of the 70s and 80s in a self-parodying way that results in more laughs than tears. The supporting cast is effective, especially Ahney Her (who plays Thao’s sister, Sue) who is a real find here. She brings a convincing depth to Sue who opens up the heart of Walt where others found it impossible. There is a gratifying scene in Gran Torino that shows this: Sue brings Walt over to her home for a feast and celebration with her family and relatives. The interracial camaraderie that occurs proves that there is no barrier to race and language as long one’s heart is open and one’s capacity to accept differences is large.

Gran Torino has its fair share of gang violence and the use of profanity is startling at times. But it is a true reflection of the situation that we have all come to know as “social and moral decay”. Eastwood’s over-elaborate performance is excellent, though it does not rank as one of his best because it is more stereotypical than original. Unlike Changeling or the Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby (2004), Gran Torino lacks powerful heart-tugging moments that are the hallmarks of an Eastwood picture. It has fantastic dialogue and character interplay though.

SCORE: 8/10
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Recommendations: Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010), To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan, 1962), The Visitor

Singapore's Most Prolific Film Blogger @ www.filmnomenon.blogspot.com

Last updated: 2010-04-17 10:04:18 by eternality_tan

Gran Torino Review

When I think of Clint Eastwood, I see an old, hurt, and eventually decaying man. Million Dollar Baby gave me that picture. I guess you could say that I am experiencing Déjà vu, because Gran Torino seems to be an echo of that same character psyche (though I have not seen Million Dollar Baby for a while, I do hope I am  right in this). However, this echo is by no means fading. Sure he is  playing the same character. Practice does make perfect, and boy does that saying come into play here.

The acting, closely seconded by great lines, is what makes Gran Torino. Going into the theater I expected drama from the start (there is plenty to go around, do not be worried), but was caught off guard to be laughing quite a bit.  The humor is mostly creative names for Walt’s Hmong neighbors, and other memorable qoutes that make Clint Eastwood a big potty mouth. His constant frustration and deep emotional pain is ultimately what makes  this happen. So far this may sound like a bit of a laugh festival (which it kind of is, I guess), but I will rudely interrupt you to state that my heart was thumping throughout the movie. My mind was going too;  foreshadowing literally states the climax in vague terms. I almost feel like the movie was not serious enough. Gangbangers do play into the  plot, but for large portions of the movie, jokes about manhood lighten things up---dangerously close to too much. Intensity does come about, mostly from plots that temporarily take a back seat. The dialogue adds  to both sides of the equation. I would laugh and get excited for some  ass kicking simultaneously, making for some temporary joy and lacking  some lasting satisfaction.

From what I gather in whiffs and random articles in magazines and the internet, Clint Eastwood is known for thrusting terrific lines through gritted teeth. This happens plenty of times (old? Not really). There are many bodacious lines, all of them executed with that familiar “Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have messed with? That's me.”  kind of coolness. I know I haven’t mentioned the plot at all, but the acting and writing fits perfectly into the context of an already great  story. By the end of the movie, the heart that is deep within Walt is visible, through event and symbol. It is ironic that throughout the movie, Walt can maintain everything in his house except himself. Maybe  that is his conscience decision, or maybe not. I heard somewhere that  lots of great stories have ambiguous endings.

Gran Torino, probably like driving the car itself, never gets boring. A teeny tiny breath of predictable air is cleverly inserted into the movie (actually,  it cancels itself out!), leaving space for thought as well as taking up a bit. Without a doubt Clint Eastwood is the carrier of this film. The other young actors deserve their time on screen, especially the witty  Sue. I can’t help but feel like the other actors deserve less shadow  cast on them, but at the same time feel grateful that they did not carry the film themselves. What Gran Torino does best, is really what Clint  Eastwood does best: Entertain with a badass lead, regardless of age  (which makes it all the sweeter). As I grow up and eventually grow old, the image that will come to mind when I summon my memories of Clint Eastwood will be this: Old guy, fearsome acting, and dirty insults. I love it already.

4.5/5

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Last updated: 2010-04-10 23:13:19 by user01

Gran Torino: Sullen Impact

Walt finally earns his Silver Star for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States, not by killing a young boy…but by saving one instead. Walt Kowalski is an anachronism, a warrior ghost who haunts a homestead he must defend from invasion. As his neighborhood changes he is witness to outsiders inhabiting his static world, Hmong citizens who barely (if at all) speak English, perceived foreigners that trespass upon his territory, igniting a moral conflagration that threatens his gasoline powered American values.

Director Clint Eastwood has created a subtle narrative whose trajectory isn’t blasted from a Korean era M1 rifle; instead, he focuses upon a lonely dying man who realizes that it’s never to late to change, his final metamorphosis is an emotional salvation that sublimates a corrosive disease that is a by-product of his violent past. Kowalski himself is obviously a descendant of immigrants, not much different than those he chooses to condemn and deride.

Eastwood portrays Walt with a grimace of deep angst and a wounded growl of pain, but imbues him with humanity and humor while (mostly) overcoming caricature. But the film’s flaws relegate most of the supporting cast to hackneyed characterizations and the familial relationship between his two sons is poorly acted and rather monotonous. The plot is boilerplate and predictable and it’s only Eastwood’s high-octane persona that fuels the engine.

The boyish Catholic Priest is pretentious and unreasonable, offering only hollow words to heal Walt’s wounds; this young seminarian knows nothing of either life or death and his inclusion in the drama is annoying and obtuse. Father Janovich is a figurehead for the writer to say something profound but only fills the screenplay with needless and inane prattle. Though ripe with stereotypes, GRAN TORINO doesn’t delve into DEATH WISH theatrics: after all, Walt only fires one shot…and it’s accidental! Walt’s final messianic pose nearly crucifies the story’s sudden impact thus relegating the final resolution to a far-fetched but heartfelt climax. Final Grade: (C)

Recommendations: The Birds, Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960), Funny Games

All reviews copyright Korova, Ltd. Visit Alex at his Home Theatre Blog, http://korovatheatrepresents.blogspot.com/

gran torino

Gran Torino.

Is freaking awesome!

If this were really to be Clint’s last movie role, it is his grand opus.  His requiem.  His fifth symphony.  It is his most epic western.

And it is an epic western.  It just happens to be set in a modern day suburb of Detroit where all the old white folks have moved out and left codgy old bastard Clint surrounded by gooks, spooks and deigos.

Clint Eastwood creates a character that people can easily relate to.  The audience can feel this old man’s pain. 

The movie opens at his wife of a thousand year’s funeral.  His spoiled, detached and otherwise unlikable sons complaining about the old man. 

At one point a little later in the film, Clint comments to his own image in the mirror that he has more in common with his gook neighbors that with his own family.

The core of the story revolves around the gooks next door and their fight against the gangs that are running rabid in the ‘burbs.  The young boy is pressured to try and steal Clint’s prized 1972 Gran Torino and culminates with ultimate redemption.

I can see Eastwood walking away with lots of little gold statues.

In fact, I give this film nine and a half Oscars out of a possible ten.

Go see this film.  Now.

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Cal Reed

Gran Torino

In case there is any doubt in people’s minds, I love Clint Eastwood. This includes him as both an actor and as a director. Last year's “Gran Torino” was a great vehicle for the man. He played Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran, recently widowed, who doesn’t like his Asian neighbors (and the whole kid-trying-to-steal-his-1972-Ford-Gran-Torino doesn’t help matters). Walt then goes on to teach the young man the error of his ways and actually gets involved with gangs and such. Clint Eastwood is the best part of the entire movie. He is a great actor and every scene with him is fantastic. He threatens people with guns and growls from his front porch. It is pretty great. The man just has unbelievable screen presence...as he has had for about 50 or so years now. The Asian actors on the other hand can’t really act, but in their defense: for almost all of them this was their first movie. The writing in places gets a bit sketchy, but overall a very good movie...I thought Clint Eastwood’s other 2008 movie “Changeling,” with Angelina Jolie, was the better movie (just a bit too long and a little slow at parts). The ending to the movie is great...without it the movie would have basically had no point. So everyone should rent it...it's only a dollar at the Redbox at Hannaford so there really is no excuse not to...and chances are "Gran Torino" is better than whatever movie you were planning on renting in the first place. And if you ever wanted to hear Clint Eastwood sing (don't anyone try to deny it)...then this is the movie for you...Mr. Eastwood does so during the ending credits.

Gran Torino

The Gran Torino of the title is a car Clint Eastwood's character owns, but it's really a symbol. The Torino represents an escape from the violence of the world.

And if you don't pick up on this right away, don't worry. The movie's going to bash that symbolism over your head a hundred times before it's through.

Symbols run amok in this movie. A cigarette lighter, a war medal, a set of tools. You'd need a notebook to keep track of them all, and that's appropriate. "Gran Torino" is the kind of somber, simplistic melodrama you're forced to watch in school.

The cliches work hard to keep pace with the symbols. There's the mysterious hacking cough which -- in movies -- is always an indication of terminal illness.

There's the good-thing-I-was-passing-by-when-another-character-is-in-mortal-danger. That happens three or four times.

Also, every character ends the movie exactly the way they began it. If you think you have a character totally figured out the first time you see them, you do. There's all kinds of "types" in this movie. There are no people.

Just to make absolutely sure it gets on my bad side, the movie breaks a couple of my inviolable movie rules.

Rule #1: No character dying on behalf of others will ever -- ever! -- fall to the ground with legs together and arms spread wide, a la Jesus on the cross.

Rule #2: After the main character dies, the movie will end. It certainly won't continue for scene after laborious scene, making viewers start to fear IT WILL NEVER END.

So who wrote this piece of crap?

A guy by the name of Nicholas Schenk. IMDB lists his other writing credits as: a TV series called "BoDogFight," a movie called "I Shot Myself," and a movie called "Factory Accident Sex (aka The Best of Doctor Sphincter.)"

Well then!

I guess that explains why this script was unbelievably bad.

So why did Eastwood choose to make it into a film? That one's easy. His character is smarter, tougher and more noble than any other character in the movie by about a million miles. And at the end he gets to make a heroic sacrifice that confirms he is smarter, tougher and more noble than you or I will ever be.

Movie stars. Bah!

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GRAN TORINO (2008)

BOTTOM LINE: Clint Eastwood is back doing what he does best, playing it tough; “Gran Torino” has a strong story, great characters, a moral centre and is surprisingly humorous despite its slow pace.

THE GOOD: If there’s one thing that Clint Eastwood is famous for, it’s his tough guy persona, and it’s back in spades in “Gran Torino”. He plays cranky Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski who wants to be left alone, even by his own family whom he has no real connection with. When a family of Asians move in next door, Walt’s life begins to change as he slowly becomes involved in their lives after he indirectly comes to their aid when they are attacked by a gang who happen to take the fight over on to his lawn. Walt, brandishing a shot gun, utters to the gang members in Eastwood’s trademark style, “get off my lawn!”. As he begins to interact with his new friends, Walt begins to find an inner peace and contentment he has never felt, and in the end he is willing to sacrifice his life to ensure their safety. The surprising aspects of “Gran Torino” lie in its character-driven moments, showing the developing relationships between Walt and his neighbours, and in particular Thao (Bee Vang) who tried to steal Walt’s 1972 Gran Torino as part of a forced initiation in to the gang. Walt eventually befriends Thao and the two develop an unlikely mentor-mentee bond. Eastwood has surrounded himself with a cast of unknowns who more than hold the screen with him, including a very impressive Ahney Her who plays Sue Lor, the first of Walt’s neighbours who befriends him, and Christopher Carley who plays a very persistent Father Janovich who promised Walt’s wife that he would watch out for him after she died. The film is quite humorous in parts; Walt’s old-school inflexibility leads to some fantastically funny dialogue when he interacts with not only his Asian neighbours, but also with his family and the neighbourhood priest. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of all is that Eastwood does not take the easy option and go all Dirty Harry in the climax; what he gives us is quite moving and tragic, but strangely compelling and right for the character of Walt. “Gran Torino” is humanistic at its centre, but delivers both humour and drama in a well blended mix that is quite satisfying.

THE BAD: “Gran Torino” takes a while to get going, and even when it does, the delivery is quite slow going. It is a character piece, but a faster pace would have made things better, especially in the opening Act where Walt’s character is established and his new Asian neighbours eventually move in. The tone of the film is good, but there is a sort of flatness to the colour and vibrancy of the images that Eastwood usually imparts in his films that will either work for you or not. The production values also give the sense of a film on a smaller budget. Overall, “Gran Torino” is quite good, but part of you might still have wanted Clint to take out his Magnum 44 and blow the bad guys away despite the fact that it would have been the wrong move to do that in this film. “Gran Torino” makes for a quality two hours of viewing cinema, despite a few shortcomings.

RATING: 7.5/10

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

Gran Torino

Clint Eastwood plays a racist old man living in a neighborhood full of Asians. He yells at his neighbors, spits at the black and Asian gangs, and generally acts as a cantankerous badass. But Gran Torino becomes a lot more than just Eastwood enacting revenge on the Asian gang that assaults his new friends next door - it's an exploration of racial conflicts, the failures of violence as an end-all-be-all, and the violent society that we are forced to live with and around on a daily basis.

Emotions run rampant, and though Eastwood's actions and reactions are funny, they are also equally saddening as his character finds that the family that he has appreciates him less than his neighbors do. The acting is phenomenal, the script penned with both heavy and light hands, and the direction spot on. There are no lulls, just a consistency of pairing the more tense parts with lighter fare until the intelligent and fulfilling conclusion. This is not a film one can explain through words alone; it must be experienced for the thrill.

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Last updated: 2010-01-17 07:30:00 by user01

Gran Torino

Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is an old-school old man who dislikes the “youth nowadays” and despises immigrants, to the point of asking a Hmungo girl (or “chink”, as he respectfully calls them) why they moved over to the USA. Grumpy but honored, Kowalski is a man of routine who doesn’t have a good relationship with his son, who treats him as if he’s crippled. That’s when his neighbors, the “chinks”, start getting in trouble with a Hmungo gang and Kowalski ends up involved.

This is the typical “grumpy fuck loosens up gradually” movie, much like “As Good As It Gets” – only Walt Kowalski is a very different character from Jack Nicholson’s. A good but dissastisfied man, he just wants to be left alone with his Gran Torino car and his memories – but the recent passing of his wife made this even more difficult, as his ungrateful relatives won’t stop “subtly” bugging him for his stuff after he dies or suggesting he goes to live in an asylum.

The thing is, Kowalski is by no means a bad man – and I liked him from the moment the movie started. If the intention was to make you hope he’d “get better”, well, I didn’t. In fact, I thought Kowalski was actually kinda reasonable. Grumpy and prejudiced, yes, but quiet. It’s easy to admire him thanks to his sense of honor and his old but fair ways. It’s other people who keep being idiots to him for the entire film. I was kinda feeling, “Yeah, just leave him alone”. It’s almost like EVERYONE in the film is a prick — except Kowalski and two supporting characters, the “chinks” Thao and Sue.

I try not to get too worried about a film’s message — a lot of people tend to overinterpret films and end up creating a huge mess over a single scene. But I can’t help feeling “Gran Torino” tries to get a message across, it just doesn’t know what it IS. The kind of impression I got was “Welcome immigrants to America and help them by any means necessary, for their original countries are Mean and Wrong and America is Good and Fair”. Is that the message? No fucking idea, the movie seems scared to just SAY it, if it is. Also, the script shoehorns a priest into the plot for — no apparent reason, actually. Kowalski tells the priest what he thinks of him — and the words he used were in my opinion accurate — and, well, later he indulges the priest, as if the priest is right after all. But then the PRIEST speaks as if Kowalski is right and well I’m lost. Moving on…

The film is funny. Kowalski is amusing and some of his lines are quite good. And Clint Eastwood, groaning so hard I was worried his throat would just split open, is very suited for the character. As director, he also uses camera angles and movements to portray Kowalski’s feelings, like when his son is trying to convince him to go to a asylum or something and the camera slowly zooms in Kowalski’s face as he grows gradually angrier. The rest of the cast, however, doesn’t keep up with Eastwood – they just limit themselves to being either unlikable or very likable. And Bee Vang – who plays Thao – is staggeringly awful. His intonations, even at quiet scenes, are all wrong – so you can have an idea at the disaster it is when he tries to portray anger or desperation.

With an unlikely ending that drowns the audience in cheap religious symbolism (the position of a body sprawled across the grass), “Gran Torino” is entertaining but doesn’t know what to say. So it says something sloppy and unclear, makes you laugh a bit and ends with Clint Eastwood singing. Despite the latter – a reasonable film.

Written by André Navarro on January 23rd 2009 

http://andrenavarro.wordpress.com/

Last updated: 2009-12-21 04:32:10 by andre_navarro

Gran Torino

I am not a racist. I believe that every race has their benefits and shortcomings, including my own. But who among us can say we haven't laughed at some racial humor in our lives? I like to think that it's healthy to poke fun at everybody once in a while, just as long as it is in good fun and not meant to be offensive. Comedians everywhere do impersonations of different races that we are not ashamed to laugh at. Racism in movies and television can be somewhat different depending on how it is used. American History X was a fantastic film that focused on how racism can destroy lives, and it was absolutely nothing to laugh about. However, racism in a movie like Borat is meant to inspire laughter and not to be taken seriously in any sense of the word (although I guess you could say Borat was more anti-Semitic than racist. Same point though). But with all the professional comics out their, who would have thought that the best racial and insult comedian to ever live was Clint Eastwood?

The content of Gran Torino is in no way a comedy. It is the story of bitter Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), who after losing his wife now lives alone with his dog Daisy. Walt spends his time fixing things around the house, drinking beer, and caring for his beloved 1972 Gran Torino. At the wishes of his late wife, local priest Father Janovich (Christopher Carley) checks up on him every now and then, but Walt, who has trouble connecting with own children, wants nothing to do with him. But if you asked Walt what annoyed him the most about his life, it would be his neighbors. We've all had neighbors we didn't care for. Maybe they didn't clean up after their dog in front of your house. Maybe they borrowed your lawn shears and never returned them. Walt's reason? They are Asian. An entire neighborhood of Hmong people surround Walt, and he is not happy about it. When his next door neighbor's teenage son Tao (Bee Vang) tries to steal his Gran Torino as a sort of gang initiation, the family forces their son to work for Walt as penance. As Walt gets to know Tao and his family, his old ideals begin to fade, and he even takes Tao under his wing, teaching him life lessons and protecting him from the gang that is after him. Gran Torino is a film that defines character growth and is richly entertaining, albeit not always for the right reasons.

The single driving force behind Gran Torino is its director and star Clint Eastwood. Without his presence, this film would have suffered vastly. Although Eastwood's age prevents him from bringing physical charisma to the screen, his verbal deliverance of insults and lessons make his performance unique and interesting. The septuagenarian actor claims Gran Torino will be his final film in front of the camera so he can stay behind the camera, and I feel this performance is one Eastwood can go out on happily. Whether he wanted to or not, he brought forth a deadpan comedy that would make Vince Vaughn proud. A single scene where he would walk through the house of a Hmong family and throw around racial slurs as though nobody was there provided for more laughs than all of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer's movies put together. (Although it can't be hard to top two laughs). Eastwood's performance was thoroughly entertaining, but because it was for the wrong reason, I can't really say it was great. When Eastwood wasn't rolling me in the aisles, he spent his time growling at people and just looking genuinely angry at everything. Even when his character shows kindness he still ends up looking like he wants to hurt me. The accomplishment in Eastwood's performance lies solely in how he convincingly made his character turn from a miserable grouch to a kind-hearted hero. He also taught me about four new insults I plan on dispensing to my friends.

Without the professionalism of Eastwood, Gran Torino falls short on every mark. The entire Hmong supporting cast was comprised of rookie actors who have never been in a movie before, with the exception of Doua Moua, who played the gang leader. Perhaps by surrounding himself with the talentless hoi polloi, Eastwood thought his guttural mumblings would make him seem like the mumblings of a Best Actor candidate. Nice try, Mr. Eastwood. Gran Torino also becomes unsure of itself as it plays on. At first you feel the movie will primarily be about Walt protecting Tao from the gang, while at the same time learning the lesson of tolerance. But the film ends up abandoning the gang aspect and just focuses on Walt and Tao's relationship for most of the movie. Then at the end, the gang, after lying dormant for about 45 minutes, re-enters and steals the ending of the movie. I acknowledge that this could be argued as making the movie "dynamic", but I choose to think it makes writer Nick Schenk indecisive. However, Schenk's screenplay is not at all bad. There were several scenes that were written very well and kept the movie entertaining. Specifically, keep an eye out for the scene when Walt teaches Tao to interact "like a man" with his barber Martin (John Carroll Lynch).

Gran Torino is a tolerable 116 minutes that is mostly held up by star Eastwood. I have to reiterate that although I am recommending this movie, it is not because it was the deep, searing drama it looks like. I actually suggest cutting off the final 20 minutes and changing the title to Clint Eastwood Insults People. If they did that, they could've won the Golden Globe for Best Picture Comedy or Musical. Actually, if they made it a musical, this could go down in history as the greatest movie ever made. But it isn't. The only dramatic aspect where Gran Torino succeeds is in spectacular character development. Everything else is overshadowed by comedy. My rating (7/10), for all the wrong reasons.

NOTE: I'm aware of the fact that this movie is not really a comedy. I just found the content of this movie to be extremely comical when it was supposed to be very serious. That was my point. So if you noticed that I tagged it as a comedy, please don't think I'm an idiot.

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