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Gran Torino (2008)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Movie review
From Time Out New York
If this is Squint Eastwood’s final onscreen appearance, as he’s said, then he leaves us with something much dirtier than Harry Callahan, maybe unforgivably so. Walt Kowalski is a full-on racist: an unreconstructed Korean War vet and recent widow brandishing his M1 rifle on his suburban Detroit porch with a less-than-welcoming growl. “Get off my lawn” would seem sufficient; Gran Torino appends a whole lot more, viciously. Over the course of its earnest (and thrillingly rude) duration, it finds room for what sounds like every slur for Asians invented. Kowalski threatens to go ape-shit on his encroaching Hmong neighbors, yet—wouldn’t you
know it?—softens as he comes to appreciate the quiet industriousness of Thao (Vang), whom he bosses around out of unexpressed affection.
Where is Sam Fuller when we need him most? The great B-movie poet could have made a meal out of these masculine rites and symbols, especially the 1972 Grand Torino crouched in Kowalski’s garage like a puma. The problem, a somewhat depressing one, is that Eastwood has grown into a director who thinks he’s superior to his mentors. A hint of pretension has crept into his filmmaking (multiple Oscars will do that) and his exchanges with his young cast feel overwrought. Meanwhile, no summation work can improve on Unforgiven; maybe Eastwood can now go back to impressing us.
Author: Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out New York Issue 689: December 11 - 17, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Angus Katt said...
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Posted on Jun 11 2009 10:24
The critics are right this time - "Gran Torino" is a piece of tripe, made up mostly of a string of cliché-ed characters and appealing to the lowest common denominator.
Very poor screenplay - the scenes with the priest were just about unwatchable.
Strictly a vehicle for Eastwood - would have been a lot worse without him in it! - Report as inappropriate
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- liliana said...
- Posted on Apr 29 2009 09:23 I loved this film! the sacrifice and redemption at the end had me keening. What a great, old-fashioned, sentiment-filled movie!
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- Sue H said...
- Posted on Mar 12 2009 06:25 Agree with above - DON'T TAKE ANY NOTICE OF CRITICS! Really good, thought provoking, funny and moving film, on a par with Slumdog. Good on you Clint.
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- Jude said...
- Posted on Mar 01 2009 10:22 Brilliant funny thought-provoking film a real must-see ignore the pretentious critics...
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- Alice said...
- Posted on Jan 02 2009 01:08 Riveting. Could not take my eyes off the screen. Great story. Great acting. Love Eastwood. Whole cast was super. A must-see film.
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- H said...
- Posted on Dec 28 2008 14:14 Boy, I'm glad I don't listen to critics. Great film. See for yourself.
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Christopher Carley, John Carroll Lynch, Geraldine Hughes, Brian Haley full cast
Rated: R
Duration: 116 mins
US Release: Dec 12 2008
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