Not Eastwood's Best, But Still Pretty Darn Good

Rating: 7/10 (7 February 2009)

Gran Torino is not Clint Eastwood's best movie. Not by a long shot. However, even when Eastwood is not quite on top of his game, the result is still pretty darn good. I didn't even mind the somewhat depressing ending, because...well, that's just Eastwood. No one tells a tragic tale better than him. And what occurs in this film is tragic. But there is a ray of hope found at the end of this story...the idea that sacrifice and honor will ultimately defeat suppression and hatred. Eastwood's Walt Kowalski is a crotchety old man, and an angry bigot. At times, it's even a little difficult to like the man. But, as the famous saying goes, "you can't judge a book by it's cover." And, in the end, when the time calls for Walt to make a decision that will ultimately bring about dire consequences for himself, but ensure the safety of others, he doesn't even think twice. This is vintage Eastwood. That's not to say that there weren't any problems with this film though. Actually there were quite a few. It did seem a bit long, and yet the running time was just a shade under two hours. Simply put, there were a few scenes that could have used some editing, or could have been cut out completely. An example would be when Walt takes young Thao to the barber shop. I know that this scene was supposed to help illustrate the friendship developing between Walt and Thao. However, I think the film had already established that fact by the time this scene rolled around, and thus it seemed a bit redundant and distracting. And I'm not surprised that this was the first acting experience for Ahney Her (Sue), and Bee Vang (Thao). While they did a passable job, it seemed like, at times, they were reading their lines from a cue card. Part of the wooden acting, however, may also have been the result of a screenplay that needed some work. But, even with all the weaknesses, this is still a pretty good film. I would even go so far as to say it's a must for Eastwood fans. And if, as some have suggested, this is his last film as far as acting is concerned, he goes out with a bang. Figuratively and literally.