It's strange to see your neighborhood on screen

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2009)

The deftly hard-edged yet unashamedly "bittersweet" screenplay, written by a native Minnesotan was what the local press had been spinning. (How awesome if two MN'er won an Oscar back to back.) And I was not disappointed by this story, the attention to cultural details, and the epithet filled script - from which I appalled by more racial insults in an hour than I had forgotten in the last 10 years. The story of cultural and generational tensions in an old neighborhood being repopulated by Hmong immigrants is one that I have been witness to. I was delighted to see that some of my own experiences with multiculturalism were getting their due on the big screen.
These were the kids I saw move into my neighborhood and the older generation that I got to see be less than helpful in the transition. Of course, being one of the "do gooder Lutherans" that get mentioned, I had more experience with the former than the latter. But I saw a few Walt Kowalski's on St. Paul's east side, and I suspect that many of my graduating class would recognize relatives in Eastwood's ornery retiree. It's a shame that producers changed "Vikings tickets" to"Lions tickets" instead of using a locally produced sports car (not that I could find one) so as to take advantage of the Michigan film production tax credit.
Despite the nominal location change I felt that this was a great local tale and a perfect note to send Eastwood off into the sunset - assuming you believe the Internet rumors. I was drawn in again to his snarling, angry at the world, woundedness like I have been by so many other of his characters; I was fascinated to understand what made/makes a man like that tick. It seems that in the last part of his career has been spent making commentary on his earlier roles. As if in his Hollywood royalty days he's attempting to remake the characters from his pulply roles in a way that prior directors didn't let him.
That's one of the rewards of career longevity, you can make the movies you want - in a way you want them made - craftsman like. The only trouble is that it's hard to find other people of like mind and skill -- which brings me to my only criticism. Some of the young Asian actors were not able to match Eastwood's intensity (or skill). But given the lack of movie roles for young Asians I'm not surprised that the acting pool is kinda shallow. But one can overlook some of the more awkward moments in service to the better whole.