OVERALL: 6/10

Plot: 7/10
Cinematography: 4/10
Entertainment value: 7/10
Movie to wait for DVD: Yes
Rewatchability: There are lots of little details, but not back-to-back
Movie to purchase: Likely not

This is the first time I’m deciding to write a review on a movie that is fresh in my head without putting too much effort thinking it through too much.  I’m a little shell shocked at this movie, mostly because I came in with huge expectations and preparing for a dramatic masterpiece that ended up being a smorgasbord of ideas that wasn’t well put together.  A modern speghetti western (in typical Eastwood form) with fantastic writing and humour, but seemed to have masked the actual storyline itself.  Though the movie was emotionally drawn, it had holes in the plot and allowed lots of room for your own interpretations of what ‘happened’ throughout the movie.  Overall, even if the movie was bad, I would have hoped that the ending was good.  In this case, I found the ending to just be dreadful!  

I will add my interpretation at the end of the synopsis of the storyline.  I think there’s merit in hearing other people’s thoughts on their take on the movie.  There will be a lot of conflicting ideas so I’m very interested in having a different view of the movie. 

Gran Torino title is based on 1972 Ford that is the premise of the storyline.  Walt Kowalski, a recent widow, crotchety and a retired auto factory worker spends the majority of his time alone with his dog.  He hadn’t been much of a father and alientated himself from the world thinking back to the days when he was in the Korean war.

He gets visited by a young priest who promised his late wife that he’d look after him and askes that he visits the church and go to confession.  The preist often visited Walt and realizes his stubborness to change his habits.  

When new neighbours arrive next door, a new Hmong family, Walt’s life is on the route to change.  An outrageous Hmong gang (who is related to the family) tries to recruit the youngest son in the family, Tao (Bee Vang) to join the gang.  As part of the initiation practice, he was asked to steal Walt’s prized Gran Torino. This was done unsuccessfully as Walt reaches for his shotgun and chases after the thief.  As the initiation failed, the gangs try to take Tao away while doing so, cause a ruckus in front of Walt’s lawn.  Walt points the gun at the gang and utters for them to get off the lawn.

The apologetic neighbours apologize for attempting to steal his car.  And as such, they bring Walt flowers, food and other gifts as a gratitude of their appreciation of saving Tao.  He was recognized as the hero of the Hmong neighbourhood and gets invited to BBQ with their neighbours.  Soon, he forges a good relationship with Tao and Soo.  Offering to help Tao with his future, he shows him how to build and fix things around the house and offers to assist him in finding a job in construction.  His luck changes quickly as he meets up with the gang on the street as he was returning home from work one day.  The gang burned his cheek with a cigerette and Tao stays away from Walt in embarassment.

As retribution, upon finding out that Tao was hurt by the gang, Walt decides to visit the gang and gives some bloodshed to one of the gang members in hopes that will return peace back in the neighbourhood.  

This movie was in very much a Clint Eastwood styled film.  Although, I can’t say that I’ve ever heard as much grunting than I have in any other film other than this one.  It seemed like his dissatisfaction with his life made him angry and disliked people as a whole.  As he realized that there were people who actually enjoyed his company and he became more satisified with his life.  He came to the realization that having people that he could spend time with more than his own kids became important to him.  His attempts to regain human touches with his family was very much ignored.  He ended up giving his life up to a family that he called his own that was not even related to him at all although at that point, he already knew that he was diagnosed with cancer (or some such, it wasn’t all that clear).  He had everything that he ever wanted and was just at the point of being happy again, asking for help and foring relationships.  Yet, somehow, that all got lost in the ending.  

I found that the character development wasn’t great, it was quite anti-climactic, Tao came into the storyline a little late (as he didn’t speak in the first half of the movie) and ending was emotional but not fulfilling.  I understand what Eastwood was going for and I can see his vision in creating this movie, but all-in-all, this is not on the top of my movie favourite list anytime soon.  

If anything, you should see the movie for the writing (if you don’t mind the expletives and racist dialogue)!  It was just hilarious, raw and the emotional impact was quite good as well.  All was not lost, it wasn’t a terrible movie by any means, but certainly wasn’t a fantastic movie either.  It’s still certainly a watchable movie.