Gran Torino

Viewer Rating:emer breen has rated Gran Torino rating: 4 Star

It's that time of the year - Oscar time - when we're bombarded by a plethora of glossy, ambitious movies based on renowned books, politics, historical events and lavish classics that promise razzle dazzle, awe and excitement (think Milk, Frost/Nixon, Benjamin Button….). Maybe we should be grateful for a plain spoken and uncomplicated movie like "Gran Torino." There's nothing “cinematically amazing” about this film. No cutting edge direction, spectacular stunts, fast paced espionage, camera angles or visual effects or anything else for that matter. What you have here is Clint Eastwood, great characters and a great story - and that's enough to get me to the cinema! Clint Eastwood is both the director and main star in Gran Torino, and he gently succeeds in both roles. Eastwood is, as always, great fun to watch when he allows himself to loosen up, in this film we see how he just can't resist clamping down hard on the old acting stick. He has hinted that his role as an opinionated, narrow minded Korean War veteran -Walt Kowalski - a cheerless, grim widower living in Detroit near a struggling Ford auto plant and even nearer to the Asian immigrants which are a constant source of dissatisfaction to him, may be his last role as an actor. This film displays a good balance between seriousness and comedic diversions, and Eastwood has great rapport with the mostly unprofessional Hmong actors surrounding him. I was a big fan of this movie, it was often enjoyable, always satisfying and even surprisingly funny. The story is set in contemporary Detroit and it tackles the shifting cultures and economics prevailing in America. Walt is an old and grizzled Korean War veteran who has just lost his wife. Now that she's gone Walt can't find much of a reason to put up with a world that just annoys and exasperates him. Without her he is anger, bitterness and loneliness personified. He has become a sour-faced ogre who seems to hate everyone and everything around him. He sits on his porch guzzling beer, scowling at his neighbours and calling them names. His neighborhood has become a slum, overcrowded with ethnic gangs and foreigners he can't abide. His relationship with his greedy, selfish family is no better. His grandkids just giggle and text during their own grandmother's funeral and he doesn't have any sort of meaningful relationship with his grown sons. A young, chummy priest even tries to get him to go to confession, but Walt scoffs at the mere suggestion. The neighborhood he's lived in for well over 30 years is no longer populated by middle class white folk, but has turned into an Asian neighbourhood - much to his disgruntlement. When his Hmong neighbour Thao tries to steal his prized car as part of a gang initiation, Walt, hearing the break-in attempt, is out the door with a rifle in a flash. He not only thwarts the robbery, but he also stops the gang when they come back to make reprisals against Thao for his failure.Walt becomes a reluctant hero among the Hmong community, a teacher and protector to the pathetic, disgraced, repentant Thao and perhaps most significantly a true friend to his older sister Sue who is outgoing and fearless in contrast to her shy but intelligent younger brother. Eventually Walt sees the good and potential in Thao and takes it upon himself to show him how to be a man and how to fend for himself in the big bad world. Walt's mission is to turn this sweet and innocent boy into a fearless young "man" . In an effort to set Thao on the right path in life and toughen him up, Walt sets him up with an old crony who works in construction. Soon it's clear that Walt loves Thao and his family, his loneliness has eased, but he goes right on calling them names. It's not out of malice he does this, for Walt that's just the way he is, always has been and always will be. Thao and Sue ignore this, recognising they're only words. They've seen that he is a good man and that is more important to them. He sets out to protect the two teenagers and takes them under his wing. The only way he knows how to do this is by loading his gun and refusing to put up with crap. Gran Torino may not be the best film of the year, but it sure is one of my favourites. I could watch Clint rant and curse racial slurs all day. It's certainly a solid piece of entertainment. I love his character and I love the way Eastwood portrayed him. Walt is a man with many imperfections, racism being one of them. Deep down though, he's a good man who just can't understand how or way the world has become such a stupid and weak place. In the midst of his cheerless surroundings, he manages to strike up a very reluctant friendship with a Hmong teenage boy and his immigrant family. While he comes across as a hard-bitten man, stern and cold and distant, he's a man of principal and character. Without a doubt, Eastwood is the star here, he is just great to watch in this film. I couldn't help smiling each time he "snarled" - a feature he uses often and to great effect. He's totally convincing as the retired old war vet who's seen it all and is pretty much afraid of nothing. On a performance level, Eastwood is as sure and steady and easy to watch as he's always been - the raspy, gruff voice, the ease of his manner and of course, his sneer and squint. Walt is bitter, haunted, and full of pride. Gran Torino's approach to complicated social issues sees Eastwood doing a remarkable job, finding the humour in Walt's dogmatic racism. More than simply a moral racial tale, however, Gran Torino is about the unlikely bonds that people form with each other. Walt has no personal peace or rest, he is estranged from his family and his church, and in the end, Walt offers all that he has to Thao and his family, while offering them his wisdom and protection.. My two favourite scenes could be watched over and over again. In one, Walt sits at the kitchen table in Sue and Thao's house as the older women of the family flitter and flutter around him, piling his plate high with food. He delights in the attention and they are charmed to show off their cooking skills. He's just the audience they crave. The other scene which stands out for me is when Walt's son and daughter-in-law bring over some alleged gifts, including a handful of glossy brochures for old age nursing homes and a monster phone with jumbo numbers on each key. His daughter-in-law explains that it's a phone and Walt merely mutters "I can see that". You can see how his character despises being treated like a child. For me, this was one of Clint Eastwood's best performances as an actor in years, a return to what made him great as a younger man. He's brilliant and commanding, stately and frightening and so over the top he's often funny! In a way, isn't this old man really everybody's angry, racist granddad!!

Review published on the 12 March 2009 15:56