I had "Gran Torino" at the top of my Netflix queue for nearly 2 months. I finally got it yesterday. This critically acclaimed Clint Eastwood film (he both directs and stars) is one that I really felt I had to see. I hadn't heard much bad about it, and I generally can still accept that Clint Eastwood can kick butt at 80 years old.
I liked this movie, and I can definitely see why the critics liked it. This isn't your typical Clint Eastwood movie. Sure, he's grumpy and doesn't show a whole lot of range in his acting, just like always. But, "Gran Torino" shows a more vulnerable Eastwood than I'm used to.
"Gran Torino" starts off with the newly widowed Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) being a grouch at his wife's funeral. It's obvious Walt doesn't get along with anyone....not his family and definitely not his Hmong Immigrant neighbors. But, when Walt comes to the aid of his neighbors who are being harassed by a local gang, an unlikely friendship is formed, as both parties have to overcome existing prejudices to develop their relationship.
For me, this is a 4 star movie. It's good, but not great. The acting isn't overwhelming, but that's not why we watch Clint Eastwood. I thought some of the plot was contrived, but not so much that it ruined the movie. I really liked the way this movie ended...I was wondering how it would end, and I was surprised. I think this is definitely a movie for Clint Eastwood fans. Also, if you like "critically acclaimed" movies, you'll like this.
There is a lot of language in this, though, so heed the R rating.
1 comment:
There goes my theory that we're getting these according to alphabetic order. They didn't ship it to me today. It was released 6/9/09, and it has been at the top of my queue since then. Crazy.
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