Surprise Surprise...

Rating: 3/10 (3 February 2009)

Clint Eastwood, you're done! No more! I'm sure you thought that your rough n tough character Walt was all you needed to reprise your self as an actor, but sadly, your character lacked real depth. Oh no, I said it! Real depth, not character depth, but human depth. You have a name, which is good, character's should have a name, but you forgot the rest, and I don't think you left it at home. Somehow though, people liked your movie, but instead of picking out their reasons and systematically breaking them down, I'd rather just write, quite simply, why I thought this was a bad movie.
If your going to post "Genius" or "Masterpiece", you better have a lengthy explanation as to why you used such over-used and overly mundane descriptors for your heading. This movie is far from "masterpiece", and closer to "I don't care if it's on HBO, I'm not watching it." So here it goes...
Firstly, the screenplay is filled with first time screenplay clichés, which seems to act accordingly, seeing as Eastwood chose a fairly non-established writer. I'm cool with that, in fact, that is awesome. However, you can't just do that and assume because it is a young script, that you can ignore what's wrong with it. Simply said, beginner screenwriters make beginner mistakes.
Character connection is huge, which is why dialogue is in turn huge. When a character makes a decision, you, as the writer, have to ask, why are they doing this? Or would they do this? When you start making decisions that result in, what some writers refer to as, stretching, you have the makings of a loosely organized film.
So here are some questions...
Are there people who are so racists and so outspoken, that even in the house of someone who they deem beneath them, they would consistently call them by racial slurs? Or continue to eat and drink their food, while they do so? Or even be in their house? No.
Now, would that same person, in the same scene, change from an elderly racists with war time experience that further enhances his bigotry, change his ways by the end of the scene and be merry? No.
Are Blacks welcoming to White supremacists? No. So why is that the Hmongs are? Is it because, racism wise, being a racists against Asians is not as bad as being racists against Blacks? No.
Living literally 5 minutes from the scene where the White guy and female lead were harassed, I tried to pay close attention to the acting, just to make sure it was fitting. It looked like they plucked a white guy from Grosse Pointe, put him in a FUBU jump suit and Perry Ellis jacket and told him, "try and act ghetto." With that simple statement came the simple acting by none other than the son of Clint Eastwood, Scotty. Stick to clinging onto your dad's coat tale to attend premiers, and leave the acting to those not trying to prove something.
As for the other actors, several, or a majority of their lines, had little or no emotion, connection to character in the scene, believability, and finesse. Now some will say, "hey, they were first time actors, give them a break." No, I won't. There are thousands of better actors out there, with experience, and ability to really connect to their characters emotions. It was like watching a middle school TV Lab project. Clint stuck out as a sore thumb, on a hand with broken fingers.
Wow he growled, my God, let us hoist him in the air! My god, he growled again, this guy is really onto something...wait...wait...no, no this isn't right. There is a reason why Clint Eastwood never received and acting Academy Award, he is not that good of an actor. He is one dimensional, mono-thematic, and down right tiresome to watch. Although his experience definitely showed amongst the virgin gang of actors, he "hand plucked" out of thousands of teens, it still was not even par worthy.
This movie has beginner written all over it, and it's not opinion. The beginner Hmong actors, no actual recognition, whether it be awards or praise from worthy critics. The beginner screenwriter, no actual recognition. Clint Eastwood, nice Golden Globe nomination, I'm sure you would have really cherished that award, too bad.
Lastly, I will explain the heading...
"Surprise, Surprise..."
Surprise, Surprise to all those who thought this movie was going to sweep at the Oscars, to all those who thought this movie would get some Oscars, to all those who thought it would even get A Oscar, to all those who thought this movie presented something noteworthy.
That this movie is in the TOP 250 is a disgrace, and proves that IMDb, despite however useful it is, is only a website, and doesn't make any BIG decision, because, quite simply, it can't.