I must admit, was a bit skeptical going in to this film. The trailers weren't terribly exciting and Clint Eastwood looked as mean as ever on his front porch in the gang-ridden setting of the film. By the end, however, I found myself to be very much attached to Clint Eastwood's "Walt Kowalski" despite the numerous racial slurs thrown about. I found his portrayal of Walt to be "classic Eastwood" in every sense of the phrase, but by the end of the film I could really see that tough exterior beginning to crack as he welcomed in, and set out to protect, these people that an extreme amount of violence taught him to hate. Don't worry though, he still does his fair amount of cursing, grunting, and gun waving. The conclusion of the film is what I found to be the most profound, however. I honestly did not see it ending the way it did, but I wouldn't change a second of it. It was the ending that you didn't expect to see. The film's score was also quite excellent and I loved the little number Clint performed during the credit sequence.
My only complaint about Gran Torino was that a bit of the film's commentary on today's youth felt overplayed at times. It just seemed like Eastwood stretched that framing further than it needed to go to maintain its importance.
I am awarding Gran Torino four and a half stars out of five and a spot on my favorite films list for Clint Eastwood's amazing acting, storytelling, and directing. It's really something special to see an actor so close to retirement still making films of this quality. I found Gran Torino to be amazing overall and if you haven't seen it yet, I hope you take the time to do so.
Please go to the official site for the trailer and more information about the film.
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