Powerful

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2009)

Clint Eastwood has once again created a character for the ages. Walt is a man, who at the beginning of the movie is a pretty pathetic person. His wife has just died, he doesn't have much of a relationship with his kids, he is a bigot. Yet some how, the Vietnamese family next door is able to break through the walls Walt has built up.
I enjoyed the journey of seeing a man go from not giving a damn, feeling unworthy of love, ending up redeemed and ultimately finally able to lay down the past. The relationship built between Walt and the Lor family is classic. I love Ahney Her as "Sue". She ignores Walt's outer defenses of bigotry and gets through to him, all the way to his heart. There has been much debate about Bee Vang's portrayal of "Thao". To me, his raw delivery and performance add a reality to his character. He shouldn't be polished in his delivery of words, he shouldn't look comfortable being uncomfortable. Eastwood gets out of him a very honest performance, one that helps to sell their relationship.
The relationship between Walt and Thao starts out in the unlikely of circumstances; Thao trying to commit a crime against Walt for a gang initiation. Through that event, a trust and love is built between the two, like father and son. It is great to watch it develop. It is through this relationship and the overall relationship with the Lor family that Walt is able to come to terms with many elements of his life. Ignorance and indifference are replaced with an informed love and appreciation for people, something Walt hasn't felt in a very long time.
A powerful and gripping movie.