AMB Reviews

Gran Torino: 9/10 Stars

Release Date: January 9, 2009 (Wide)

Content Advisory: Rated R for language throughout and some violence. A boy is grazed in the neck by a bullet and a girl comes home with bloody cuts all across her body. A man is shot multiple times, though it remains relatively bloodless. Several gangs roughly handle and mistreat various Hmongs. A large amount of f-words and other minor profanities are scattered throughout.

Review:

Gran Torino is one of those films that I never really cared about in the beginning. One of those films that looks completely mediocre that you really would never give a second thought to it after viewing the trailer for the first time. Of course, we all know how that eventually turned out, as here I am right now, writing this review... 

In Short: 

Gran Torino, in short (and by short, I mean very short) is about a pessimistic and grouchy old war veteran who establishes a relationship with two Hmong teenagers that he hated to begin with. Of course, this being a Clint Eastwood movie, you can definitely expect some stylish fights in there, as the film revolves around Asian and Hmong gangs. The storyline was thick, involving, and deep, while the acting (and visuals) were, to put it bluntly, fantastic. In fact, the main Hmong teenager was actually played by a high school junior who goes to my own school! To sum it all up: a gripping and ultimately touching drama. 

In Full: 

Gran Torino fits into a category that is totally new to me. A genre that I don't think I have ever found in a film before. It is mainly a drama, but also contains more laughs than you'd expect. And to top that off, it adds in some action as well. The drama comes with the whole movie as a whole, with an emotionally compelling plot involving a pessimistic grouch of a guy (played fantastically by Eastwood) who soon forms a relationship with two Hmong teenagers (ironically, they are the two people he hated to begin with). Of course, this taking place back in the 70's, this film also documents how Walt (Eastwood) aids the two Hmongs, Thao and Sue, in defending themselves from Asian gangs.

The laughs mainly come from Eastwood, who has way of telling things so bluntly, you can't help but laugh whenever he grouches at someone. The action then, as you probably can tell, comes with the Asian gangs, who are always out looking for someone to beat up. When you mix all of this together, you get a very entertaining and enjoyable movie that is surprisingly, also very thought-provoking. Despite its blunt humor and raw language, this film also shows us the importance of sacrifice and acceptance. Though I do not want to spoil anything from this movie, I must tell you that there is a lot more contained in it than meets the eye. It most definitely offers plenty to leave you with to think about.

The acting, as I briefly mentioned above, was stellar. Eastwood, though growing old quickly (78, is he?) played Walt Kowalski splendidly well, finding the perfect balance between his raw and dark humor and his softer, more sympathetic side. Bee Vang, who plays one of the Hmong teenagers, named Thao, as well as delivering a solid performance, also attends my own high school! Though his role was definitely not a stretch for him, and really only caused him to play "himself," he still did so decently. The rest of the cast was also great, and in the end, I never really saw a problem with any of the acting. Solid. 

This film, being mainly a drama, did not contain too many visuals to comment upon. This is no James Bond, obviously. You won't find any explosions, high-tech gun fights, or fist fights here (though Eastwood does beat up a gang member pretty badly in one scene). This is more a drama based more on the relationships between the characters and their different emotions, and how in the end, they each affect Walt Kowalski and his life. It is a touching film that offers many positive messages and morals to take home with you after viewing it. It is most definitely suitable for the younger ones, but for those mature enough to see it, will most certainly find something to think about.

When I first viewed the trailer for Gran Torino, I blew it off. Though my dad was immediately interested, I really didn't give a care about it. However, after several more viewings of the trailer (does this sound familiar?), I eventually gave in and went to see it. I'd read many great reviews for the film, and by the end credits, I had decided that Gran Torino was one of my Top 10 favorite movies. It was that good! Solid performances, an emotionally complex and compelling plot, and some great, thought-provoking messages made this film onto my Top 10. Maybe it will do the same for you. Maybe not, but it's possible. And isn't that a good enough reason to get your butt off the seat and check the showtimes of your local theater?