Eastwood is Pitch-Perfect on Both Sides of the Camera

Rating: 10/10 (12 September 2009)

Following in the footsteps of MYSTIC RIVER and MILLION DOLLAR BABY comes another smashing success for director Clint Eastwood, this time in the form of GRAN TORINO.
The film also stars Eastwood in the role of Walt Kowalski, a veteran of the Korean War and former employee of Ford. Walt is intensely racist, and so his world is predictably turned upside-down when a Hmong family moves in to the house next door.
The film unfolds from here, with viewers being exposed to the gradual transformation of a man whose life was structured around being unyielding, unwelcoming, and most importantly unwilling to adapt to the new age of multiculturalism in western society.
Strong supporting turns by Bee Vong, Ahney Her, and Christopher Carley round out the film's strong script and powerful directing and camera-work, and a powerhouse ending leaves viewers thinking about the film for some time after it has ended.
Limitlessly rewatchable. 10/10.