Seen on: January 10, 2009

The players: Director: Clint Eastwood, Writer: Nick Schenk, Cast: Clint Eastwood, Ahney Her, Brian Haley, Bee Vang

Facts of interest: The song "Gran Torino" was nominated for a Golden Globe.

The plot: A stubborn Korean War vet (Eastwood) forms an unlikely bond with a Hmong teenager who lives next door.

Our thoughts: “Gran Torino” is a powerful, utterly intriguing and highly entertaining movie. It’s a fantastic effort by Clint Eastwood the director, and it boasts a marvelous performance by Clint Eastwood the actor. My dear readers, this is just the kind of movie that captivates you right away and won’t let go of you until the very end. As you can already tell, I really enjoyed this one.

Eastwood stars as Walt Kowalski, a badass Korean War vet who’s anything but happy these days. His beloved wife just passed away, he doesn’t get along with his kids, and he’s utterly annoyed by all the Asian immigrants living in his neighborhood. Yeah, Walt is a nasty racist, but he doesn’t care at all what other people think.

Things slowly start to change, however, when Walt encounters Thao (Bee Vang), a young Hmong teenager who lives next door and struggles to evade his cousin’s ruthless street gang. Convinced that this kid will never find peace in the world as long as these criminals are around, Walt makes it his mission to help him out and put an end to all the violence in the neighborhood.

In a nutshell, Walt Kowalski is just the perfect character for Eastwood. He’s a stubborn bastard who won’t let anyone tell him what to do, and he doesn’t shy away from doing anything it takes to finish what he starts. Yep, Walt is someone who gets the job done, even if that means having to socialize with the people he hates.

Eastwood’s performance is splendid, really, and while it may not be as emotional as his role in “Million Dollar Baby,” he still succeeds in bringing along just the right amount of energy to play this flawed but nonetheless compelling character. I mean, this is an actor who perfectly succeeds to get all his emotions across in the most authentic way possible without even uttering a single word.

“Gran Torino” is a film with a wide variety of themes, and one I particularly enjoyed is Walt’s gradual transformation from a foul-mouthed racist into a man who tries to overcome his prejudices. Okay, he definitely doesn’t drop the profanities, but his bond with Thao at least helps him perceive the Hmong in his community from a different, more positive perspective.

There is a whole lot more to say about Walt, but I’ll stop here because I certainly don’t want to spoil it for you. What you should know though is that “Gran Torino” is an incredibly entertaining and surprising film that carries a touching story about an angry old man whose friendship with a stranger fills his life with a new purpose.

Freaky quote: “Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have messed with? That's me." – Clint Eastwood

The final word: Whether you’re looking for suspense, drama or humor, “Gran Torino” has it all. With Eastwood’s clean direction and his great performance, and Nick Schenk’s intriguing story, this is definitely one of those films you shouldn’t miss at any cost. This is first-class filmmaking, and it deserves everybody’s attention.

Article by Franck Tabouring