Gran Torino Blu-ray review
The years have been fair to Clint Eastwood. In the twilight of his life he has starred in and directed motion pictures that have garnered massive acclaim, he has won Oscar gold, and with Gran Torino he returns to a tough-and-gruff character reminiscent of the roles of his prime. Directed by and starring Eastwood, Gran Torino is a strong finale in his tough-guy film portfolio.
A man and his car. And a shotgun.
STORYTELLING:
Gran Torino seems to have been written with Clint Eastwood in mind. An old man with a history as a badass, bitter about society decaying around him while offering up wisdom and lessons in ass-kicking to a boy at a fork in the road. Strangely enough, the film’s setup parallels Pixar’s UP. A man loses his wife and must adjust to life without his spouse, haunted by his past he finds a new beginning through a young man. Clint Eastwood plays a man named Kowalski, a veteran of the Korean War who is less than politically correct. Since his wife’s passing Kowalski is joyless, a man whose greatest pleasure is the company of his dog and bitter banter with his barber.
When Kowalski’s neighbor boy Thao tries to steal his car as a gang initiation (the Gran Torino from the title), it begins a very turbulent and ultimately valuable friendship for both of them. Kowalski has a lot to learn about culture and acceptance, while Thao has a lot to learn about being a man. Early on some of the performances seem stiff, but those performances come to life as the second act reveals a plot rich with obstacles and relationships. Clint Eastwood grumbles through the movie at a low volume that becomes a little annoying and overall he isn’t very convincing with Kowalski’s gunplay, indications that Eastwood’s age is really getting in the way. Age concerns aside, Kowalski is a character you will root for, and Gran Torino is a story worth being told; a story about tolerance and common sense, political correctness and racism.
Slip covers. I can't decide how I feel.
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