A gem of a movie.

Rating: 8/10 (9 March 2009)

You have to give Clint his due, he is one of the few stars who has emerged from the 1950s who is still a box office draw today.He may not have the acting skill of a Brando or a Newman, but he knows what he's good at and how it translates on screen. He fully delivers in his latest film, Gran Torino.
Walt Kowalski(Clint) is Korean War veteran, who lives in Detroit.He is a bitter old veteran. When we first meet him,he is at the funeral of his wife. We see him with his two sons, and their families. He has very little connection with them.
One of the few white faces still living in his neighbourhood, Walt gets involved with Thao, who is being threatened by a local gang. Thao is from Hmong,the people relocated to America from Laos .For Walt, who is a racist and makes no attempt to hide it, the sight of these immigrants are too much for him. He uses words like "gooks" and "fishheads".
One of Walt's prized possessions is his Ford Gran Torino. He never drives it, but he keeps it in mint condition. The gang urge Thao to steal the car as part of his initiation into the gang.Walt attempts to save Thao from the gang and adopting him as his surrogate son.He may be a racist, but Walt reclaims his humanity.
Why is the film called Gran Torino?The car is a symbol of old fashioned values,values that Walt sees disappearing. It is also symbolic of an America that is in decline.Walt growls at everything, from his granddaughter texting in church to his son driving a Japanese car.
This is Clint's commentary on modern America. He despises, the lack of respect for tradition,the decline of patriotism, political correctness,wiggas and gang culture.This could easily be Dirty Harry in 2008, railing against the current orthodoxy.We still get the typical Eastwood humour and that magnetic screen presence.
Clint still has the magic, even at 78 years old.