Stinking pile

Rating: 1/10 (2 May 2009)

I'll be honest, I slightly enjoyed this movie as it was playing. And I was touched by the ending. But thats it.
This movie is another in a long line of Clint Eastwood directed/acted movies where it is just another opportunity to further Eastwood's narcissism. I don't have a problem with redemption stories or flawed main characters, but its the fact that his movies are always about Eastwood. This is why a director who is acting in his own movies is no good. Its just no good at all.
I thought back to the other Eastwood movies. Million Dollar Baby is about Eastwood as the trainer, not the boxer. This movie is about an old war vet, not the community he lives in. On surface you would probably tell me that this is fine, but I think its very degrading. Eastwood had a family's house shot up, a young girl raped, another burned with a cigarette and almost killed JUST so he could go out and save the day. Million Dollar Baby is the same way where the movie is about the decision of a trainer, not the heartbreaking story of the boxer.
Now, a one off isn't bad. Even a two off. But every movie that Eastwood acts/directs, you end up with everyone falling into the background while Eastwood's ugly mug comes to the foreground.
Now I completely understand why the acting community loves him. Not only is he an actor turned director, but he has developed a manner to take an actor's ego to a new level. With this backing, the public supports him no matter what. I wish Eastwood would pick one or the other as I really enjoyed mystic river. But skip any movie that is the Eastwood combo.