irreverently funny!

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2009)

Surprisingly enjoyable! The poster seems serious and poised its viewers for heavy drama, but Gran Torino is irreverently funny. It's great seeing Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby) create movies for himself using material that would otherwise never see Hollywood. Not only has he continued to successfully direct emotionally-charged dramas but he also shows aging actors how to create roles for themselves.
Set in the not-so-sleepy suburban Midwest, Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) is a grumpy widower and Korean War vet who ends up befriending his Hmong teenage neighbor, Thao Vang Lor (Bee Vang), who tried to steal his vintage car, a 1972 Gran Torino. The old dog is also forced to accept new ways when he has to deal with the growing number of minorities in his neighborhood, while struggling against his well-meaning son who tries to take care of him with embarrassing results.
The rest of the supporting cast is laudable and turn in earnest performances, including Christopher Carley as the young Father Janovich, who relentlessly tries to befriend Kowalski, and Ahney Her as Thao's sassy sister, Sue. Eastwood triumphs once more in turning what would otherwise be a simple drama into a memorable, engaging story, using his heroic anti-hero Kowalski as a platform for better written roles for older actors. Don't miss this one!