Gran Torino [Blu-ray] [2008]

I had a little scan over the reviews and honestly I never met a larger collection of pompos know-it-alls who completely hated the movie based on its political view. The point was a avoided because of the high degree of racist comments and the attitude of the main character. I am writing this review because I feel I have to let people know why this movie is honestly one of Mr Eastwoods greatest movies. Lets get to it, First of the character is in an asian community, he is white, his wife is dead and he spent time in serving over seas. Now retired he is haunted with guilt and regret for his past life but is clearly showing a tough front. He has no hate for race and no hate for religion but he is in a place where is the odd one out and now that he is weary with age he wants to settle down and get over his past life. Over time you find out a little about him and the community around him. Now this is where people get very touchy as almost every thug in the area is either black or asian and seeing as how he is an ASIAN neighbourhood and he is one of very few white people that doesn't suprise me. A young asian boy - cousin to a gang of thugs - is being tomented and forced to do crime. When the young boy fails they gang start to drag him from his home and of course this is where clint's character comes into it. He saves the boy - though for selfish reason - and from this point onwards I'll reveal no more plot. Clint potrays a very stereotypical war vet retiree, he is grumpy, he is tired but he is honest and he is decent but above all humble. He holds no respect for himself but believes in a wholesome life: - work hard - be good to your family - find a woman and live happy Simple, the main reason I love it is because we live in an age where kids are becoming spoilt, ruthless and irresponsible. Honestly he is a complex character but easy to relate to because he is such a decent person deep down. Makes you think about how you look at people. Back on the race topic the main character is very blunt with his racial comments, but in the end its only words, the faster people come to terms with that fact the sooner people can grow up and get along. I live in the UK and the 4 kingdoms love have a joke at each other and to be fair it gets brutal. This movie is no different people can be mean but in the end the people that care about you always have the best intentions. Honestly the values taught in this movie are very human and very real. I suggest to any person who loves a simple story with brilliant acting and great story line it is worth your time. Movies can be as good as books if done right. This movie comes pretty damn close. Man or woman the end will make you cry. I am a heavyset male who almost never cries and this movie managed to shed a few from me. Watch this movie.

This is trademark Eastwood. Powerful performances from unknown actors who shine throughout, packed with wonderfully dry, witty and quite racist (yet tasteful) dialogue and touching emotional relationships that develop and change as the film progresses. A beautiful mellow soundtrack accompanies the long, lingering shots Eastwood uses to paint a picture of a peaceful suburban neighbourhood touched by the growing culture of gangs and street crime, something all audiences can relate to, no matter their culture. As for taking the lead, Eastwood could clearly emulate any of his former tough-talking and all-American heroes in their retirement. Harry Callahan, Tom Highway, Mitchell Gant and even Philo Beddoe can all be seen in his bitter, haunted and brilliant performance. Seeing Walt flower from a bitter man to a caring one is a delight, and there are plenty of fantastic one-liners and memorable Eastwood snarls along the way to make you smile the way you did with 'Dirty Harry'. Young Hmong actors Bee Vang, Ahney Her and Doua Moua are perfect as the representation of youth society today, entwined by family but separated by their various cultures and aspirations in life, which all are relevant in today’s society. They work so well together, and there is no distraction from the story at the presence of these unknown actors, which Eastwood always uses to great effect rather than big Hollywood stars. The story is wonderful, very entertaining and very appropriate in modern culture. There are moments of great humour, great drama and great sadness but not one moment is glorified or exploited for cinematic effect. Eastwood knows how to deliver a powerful film wrapped up in a very modest and normal looking shell which leads to the gradual tension between cultures building to the finale; a very powerful moment and one that could almost encapsulate Clint’s acting career sign-off.

I had seen the trailer for this movie and couldn't wait to see it - albeit in DVD form. If this is to be Clint Eastwood's swansong as an actor ( and I doubt it) then he has gone out in a truly memorable and excellent film. It is a film that doesn't pull its punches, dealing with issues of disfunctional families, the generation gap, cultural differences and race, gang warfare and bullying. It has one or two harrowing moments but is generally a happy film punctuated with a lot of humour. Unlike a lot of American film and TV, this film does not preach nor patronise. You are left to form your own opinions. The acting is excellent throughout the cast. Clint, of course, is his usual laconic self - his acting wonderfully paced. The two young Asian "leads" are excellent, too, putting in natural and effecting performances. The minor characters are all wonderfully played. The pace of the film (slow at first) allows character to develop. The young priest and the barber are two examples of this. I ought to mention the dog too. A sensitive and underplayed performance here as well! This film will leave you with much to mull over after viewing. It is a modern masterpiece with so much to commend it even after several viewings. Excellent is hardly a sufficient epithet. Mike, Stoupa, Greece

Having missed this in the cinema I decided to buy the DVD, wasn't quite sure what to expect. There was quite a lot of swearing and racist remarks, although they were all appropriate to the content of the story. Not as much violence as I expected which was good as far as I was concerned, violent acts occurred but you got enough idea without the need for glorification of the violence. Clever story line. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on that as there are a lot of other reviews that cover the story line pretty comprehensively. Having glanced through some of the 1* reviews I would agree it is fairly slow because it's focus is on the characters rather than an action film. I liked that, but I guess if you are looking for a standard action, shoot-em up movie, you would be disappointed. I definitely did not think it was predictable. It was a film that left me thinking over lots of issues - how to handle gangs, racism, cultural norms and how differing cultures live together, fatherhood (good and bad), roles, life and death and what it does to you to kill another, possibly even sacrifice and redemption. I was really impressed and would recommend it. Clint Eastwood clearly put his work in here as lead actor, director/producer and part of the writing team and to think I just saw him a a cowboy actor!

Another fine movie from Clint, in front of and behind the camera, and his son supplying the music, is nepotism too hard a word. This is a Grumpy Harry, a retired Korean War vet tryig to maintain standards as the neighbourhood goes downhill in his eyes with the influx of asian immigrants. Against his will, Clint forms a bond with the Hmong family next door, the interplay between his character and the grandmother is excellently played, and he catches the son breaking in to his garage to steal his pride and joy, the Gran Torino of the title. The punishment is to work for Clint for a week and the young man spends his time carrying out work for all the neighbours while being interrogated by Clint. Eastwood also fixes him with a job in construction and teaches the young asian man to behave like a redneck to fit in. The climax involves the local gang of asian thugs and their traetment of the next-doors daughter and son. As with all Eastwood directed movies, the direction does not get in the way of the actors telling the story and the acting is characterful and controlled. Recently, Eastwood has shown his real skill behind the camera, the Iwo Jima films for instance, but this film shows he still is a consumate actor, portraying a character, who could be seen as unsympathetic, fully, showing his stengths as well as his weaknesses.

Clint Eastwood confirmed that this was to be his last starring role,but I believe he has starred recently in another film "The trouble with the curve",anyway...... Gran Torino is a tale with many facets to it,such as the loss of male identity that was orginally brought about by working in skilled blue-collar employment which Eastwoods character did-he was a Ford auto worker in the movie and the male characteristics and bonding that this employment developed,and the repercussions regarding the decline and demise of these same industries. Also,the absence but importance of a guiding father figure within a young man's early stages of life and the negative consequences of none being present and the simultaneous rise of the gang culture......this is all dealt with in this brilliant film and lots more besides,but lets the viewer draw their own conclusions ultimately. It's both funny and serious at times and a film that asks as many questions as answers about society and its problems,but perhaps that's what Eastwood set out to do. Certainly one to watch and study.

This might be the testament of Clint's early characters, like an old Callahan or Gunny ending up alone with their ghosts. And these are also Clint's ghosts, all the men and labels he was associated to during his career, especially the early one. But it is not Clint rejecting them, just simply trying to exorcise them on a hand and to let people really understand them on the other. Clint's character is apparently a white trash, working class, veteran and so on. He hates everyone, even if minorities are a easier target but, after all, he just do not trust people and live in the memory of an old and gone america, that was partially real (and white) but is partially also just imagined. He knows about sacrifices, solitude, values and think that that is what America should be about, while he does not see it anywhere and anymore. Something he fought for but he cannot accept it is a nothing he fought for. And so, gradually, he understand that what really counts is to recreate this utopia among friends, old and new, with the bits of reality and life that make sense and make life worthy, including a young korean kid, an old car, some people in the neighbourhood. And he also realizes that his real enemy is himself and the ghosts that surround him. This is a tragedy but it is not uncommon. What is typical of him, now more than ever, is that he realizes that everyone has his ghosts, sometimes they are just affections and memories, and you have to live with them. And when it's darker ones, and produce anger, and violence, there is just one way to work it out: to destroy them, or destroy oneself. Gran Torino, after all, is the story of the last samurai, a samurai who swears and has guns, who seeks justice and often fails.

I first heard about this movie while it was in production and it was being rumoured to be the next Dirty Harry movie. Being a massive Dirty Harry fan I was overjoyed only to be disappointed to find out that it wasn't what I wanted it to be. So I avoided the movie until today. That was my mistake. Clint Eastwood plays a Korean war veteran who is now retired and has just lost his wife. While distanced from his real family he slowly starts to become friendly with a family of Hmong immigrants who are being troubled by a local gang. This movie will have you laughing and crying. Eastwood gives a fantastic performance as ever and wonderfully directs this great movie. In my opinion there are better Clint Eastwood movies, but this is still a fantastic watch.