Clint does it again

Rating: 9/10 (2 July 2009)

How is it possible that Clint Eastwood can continue, after all these decades, to make and star in great movies? Because he's the man, that's why. Eastwood scores again in "Gran Torino," a sort of "Dirty Harry" meets "Grumpy Old Men." Clint shows us again why he deserved the Irving Thalberg award. He is a true legend in the movie business. This tale presents Eastwood as a crusty, bigoted Korean War veteran whose weathered face hints at a world of horrors he has visited. He grudgingly befriends a Hmong family next door, taking an interest in them after his beloved wife dies. He has no warm fuzzies for most people - even his own family - but slowly develops a deep respect for this immigrant clan, realizing after several incidents in the neighborhood that they embody some of the human traits he holds dear: honor, justice and loyalty. "Gran Torino" is one of the best movies of 2008 and it's a travesty that it didn't even get a single Oscar nomination. Nevertheless, Clint proved once again that he can hold his own, whether as a 30-year-old gunslinger or a 78-year-old grandpa.