The Korean War veteran thought to put hard battle behind him, only to find another raging within the dilapidated confines of his much changed Michigan neighbourhood

Rating: 7/10 (21 May 2011)

Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is anything but a sweet pensioner. He is gruff, uncouth and outspoken to the point of offensive. An unrepentant sinner, he seeks to wind down the remainder of his life friendlessly wounded with a grudge against all mankind.
Yet recently widowed, estranged from his two sons and haunted by grim memories of a brutal time in Korea (part of the Cold War), here is a man with something to begrudge about. That is until, through no active will of his own other than being a man fiercely jealous of his privacy, the accolade of "neighbourhood hero" is bestowed on him through an unplanned unfolding of events.
As such, it is not long before the sour Wally finds himself embroiled in the troubles of his Asian neighbours, a family trying hard to stand against the tyranny of local gangs that terrorise the small community of immigrant minorities.
The plot flows seamlessly along, fluid and engaging, with characters that are authentic in a way that inspires empathy. An ironic, truly original story, this film plays out in what can only be described as true Eastwood style; unique, tasteful, cinematographically above par, further establishing our dear Mr. Clint as a true Hollywood great.
You will laugh at coarse humour; you will raise eyebrows at brittle rebelliousness; you will be angered on behalf of characters so well-moulded they develop relatable identity; you will be touched to smile; and, lastly, you will most certainly weep, because without trying too hard intense emotion is evoked, real and deeply moving.
Simply lovely.