Coolness factor: Through The Roof

Rating: 9/10 (10 April 2009)

Clint Eastwood delivers another film with a sympathetic storyline about real human-values that is brought to life by interesting characters and a frank attitude towards the Bullshit of Life.
This is a movie that delivers on many levels. It's mundane suburban-American setting with a war-time history background gives the movie a firm background. It's this relative mundaneness that helps maintain a realistic and natural habitat for the film's characters. The multi-cultural aspect of the film is also handled with a nice but not overt fish-out-of-water scenario.
Walt's character delivers the rest to make the movie whole. A seemingly racist but at heart just a simple and frank character who has an edge to him and fights for what he sees is right. His interaction with Thao and Sue creates the film's warmth and his encounters with the gang-members provide Eastwood with a chance to play his grittier side.
The great thing about the movie is that it doesn't put itself decisively on anyone's side except that of the common man who wants to get on with life. The film's climax is perhaps a little predictable and its only weakness but the conclusion leaves the viewer with a good feeling once the credits start to roll.