No country for old man (my summary line, not THAT movie)

Rating: Null/10 (18 March 2009)

Some movie critics are lazy, resorting to a superficial comparison of Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), Gran Torino's protagonist, to Archie Bunker, the iconic red-neck from the extremely popular "All in the family" series in the seventies. What this movie really talks about is the loneliness of a world-wearied old man who has just lost his wife. An odd-couple type of friendship developed with a taciturn, introvert Asian teenager brings new meaning to a life that is withering away. The story works just as well with the teenage being Caucasian. The ethic issue does add another dimension to the story, but is not essential to the spirit and soul of this movie.
The movie starts with the funeral of Walt's wife during which the audience is shown in no uncertain terms the insensitivity of his family  a granddaughter anticipating going to college inquiring whether she could acquire some of his furniture when "you, like, die". Refusing to leave his lifelong neighbourhood that has now been taken over by minorities (with their respective juvenile gangs), the widower spends a good part of his days sitting at the porch sipping beer, admiring his vintage '72 Gran Torino, with as his only companion Daisy, the dog that has grown old with him. Phone calls and visits from his two sons are few and far between, and the only source of excitement is the perseverance of the parish priest who has promised his wife to bring him to the confession box. Then comes the unexpected friendship with the aforementioned young man Thao (Bee Vang).
It is important to repeat here that Walt Kowalski is in no way an Archie Bunker. Nor is he an angry man filled with hatred as some critics would have you believe. Rather he is world-weary, bored, weighted down by remorse, disinterested in life, and with no passion for any real anger or hatred. Throwing insulting remarks, racial or otherwise, is just part of his habitual speech, as seen in his fond exchanges with long-time friend Italian barber Martin (John Carroll Lynch). Even his sentiments about his time in the Korean War is more apologetic than hostile.
I will not elaborate plot details but just say that things start with the wrong foot with Thao. The breakdown of the barrier actually starts with Thao's older sister Sue (Ahney Her), who, despite the age gap, communicates with Walt in the same wave length, due much to her sunshine personality and cute flippancy. It is almost halfway through the movie before we start hearing Thao speak more than a few words but things pick up from there. Embracing him as protégé and friend, Walt lunches a project of making the shy lad into a real man - teaches him courtship technique, handyman workmanship, and even finds him a job at an Irish buddy's construction site. Destined to be counted among classic movie scenes is one where Walt takes Theo to the barber shop and, between himself and Barber Martin, tries to teach the young man how to talk like a man. This is the happiest moment in the movie.
There are also heart-wrenching moments. There is ugliness and violence. Some compare the ending twist may bring to mind Aslan's fate in "The lion, the witch and the wardrobe", with one obvious difference. To frequent movie goers, the plot development is probably foreseeable from the very spit of blood Walt coughs. The most heartbreaking moment, although some may not notice or even agree, is the phone call Walt makes to his son with hospital test reports just received spread out in front of him. Walt tried to make small talks while the son, while civil, intimates that he is really busy. Walt does not get a chance to say what he wanted to, and probably wouldn't have said it anyway even if he had a chance to. This is one scene that will make a feeling audience's heart bleed.
Clint Eastwood is the second best thing that has happened to the art of motion picture, ranking just below the invention of the movie camera. At 79, he is fully capable of giving the world many more wonderful movies for another 20 years.