It is hard to criticize an icon.

Rating: 7/10 (20 February 2009)

I grew up with Eastwood and I am a great admirer of his directing and his acting. Having said this I feel, however, like the guy that reads a review of a great restaurant and goes there expecting a fabulous meal but walks out afterward feeling letdown. There was a feeling of déjà vue about this filmthat I had seen the film before with the same characters, same (roughly) storyline and the same protagonist going through pretty much the same actions.I did not feel like I had entered the presence of a great director as I have felt in the past with other Greats and their films because the hallmarks of those directors, those readily identifiable techniques that clearly demonstrate the hand of a master, did not appear in this film. I did not appreciate the script; I was not happy to see the straw dog of Eastwood's irascible character slowly come to grips with the ethnic changes in his neighbourhood and have the entire storyline based upon the seemingly inevitable opinion conversion that took place. The movie did not strike me as something I would like to see but friends said that it was good and worthwhile watching; however, after all is said and done, I believe my initial opinion was justified.