Gran Torino

I picked up Gran Torino from my local redbox last night. I'd heard nothing but good things about it and thus I was excited to tuck in to a good flick. I was not disappointed.

I do love Clint Eastwood - I always have. Now I'm not talking Dirty Harry or The Dead Pool - I fell in love with Clint Eastwood through watching In the Line of Fire, True Crime, Blood Work, The Bridges of Madison County and Million Dollar Baby, just to name a few. And by the way, he may be 79-years-old, but I still think he's one of the most handsome men on this earth.

I'm always a big fan of so-called no-name actors making a good movie great. Ahney Her (Sue Lor) made an excellent debut in Gran Torino. Bee Vang (Thao Van Lor) really didn't impress me, but I found the character he attempted to portray endearing.

Eastwood's character seems to suffer from the same tortured soul syndrome his character experienced in Million Dollar Baby, but I didn't feel like I was watching the same story with different scenery. Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), was quite a unique character in my opinion. Yes, he was a curmudgeon who spent most of his days growling at people. But he also had a yellow lab, Daisy, who was obviously his best friend after the passing of his wife, Dorothy. Through his "conversations" with Daisy and his interactions with Sue and Thao, we get a clearer picture of the real Walt. He's a good man. A little damaged, but still a good man.

Gran Torino addresses war, racism, familial estrangement, gang violence, poverty and many other complex issues.

I found it sincere rather than trite, moving rather than cheesy and realistic rather than unbelievable. I really liked this movie. Highly recommended.