Manipulative? Yes. Great? Yes.

Rating: 8/10 (12 February 2005)

The critics who haven't liked this movie have called it manipulative. Well, they're right! But who cares! Eastwood sucked me in so beautifully that I'm willing to let it pass. As has been said before there is a major shift in this movie that really changes it's message and, excuse the pun, is it ever a sucker punch! Hillary is great, as are Clint and Morgan. Clint even shows some chops as an actor. Sure he's still doing himself, but he really takes on the character. The movie doesn't come close to the depth or sophistication of "Mystic River". The story, or rather the two stories, are predictable. Will our spunky heroine win over the old grouch? Will she make good? Will we root her on? You betcha! It's corny but there's good corn and bad corn, and Clint pulls his punches enough ( I'm sorry!) for it to work as solidly good entertainment.
******SPOILER******
Now to those self righteous conservatives who derided Clint's ending. People this is a morality tale! That means the morals aren't cut and dried. Clint makes a decision that is not going to be accepted by those who want people in movies to act in accordance with the rule: only God can take life. Oops, I forgot, those kind of people are usually for capital punishment. Darn! Morality sure is complicated isn't it! O.K. only God can take life except for those people who deserve to die. Why do I keep thinking that Christianity is anti violence. It's just anti bad people.