Review: Gran Torino (2009)

[Homer Yen]

"Gran Torino" - Go Ahead, It'll Make Your Day
by Homer Yen
(c) 2009

"Get off my lawn," says the gruff old-timer.  I'm not sure if I would
want Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) as my neighbor.  And, as an
Asian-American myself, he certainly wouldn't want me.  When I think
about the American of yesteryear, he is Walt.  He worked in the auto
industry until he retired.  He smokes like a chimney.  He fought for
America, serving in Korea.  He's proud to be an American.  And he
hates everyone who isn't.

Racist?  Sure.  Bigot?  Yup.  Discriminatory?  Without a doubt.  But
this is Clint Eastwood and despite the liberal amount of epithets that
he tosses around, you have to respect his cuss-filled ways.  Oh, and
don't worry. He's an equal-opportunity offender.  Walt is unabashedly
direct, regardless of whether he's schooling a pretty white boy, Asian
thugs, or even his priest.

Part of the joy is just watching Eastwood sneering and posturing.
He's a tough guy's tough guy.  He's a durable icon, even to this day.
And, I can only hope that I will have that kind of energy and
determination when I'm 78.  You know, you should just make time to go
out and witness one of the last greats of his generation.

Life for him has been filled with more things that he regrets rather
than rejoices.  He becomes even more dour when his neighbor, a young
Hmong teenager named Thao, tries to steal his prized Gran Torino.  His
sneer is enough to send shivers up your spine.  However, unexpectedly,
Walt wants to try to reform him.  This won't be easy.  Thao is
awkwardly shy around the girls.  And a local gang, headed by his
cousin, wants to recruit him.  Thao doesn't really deserve Walt's
time.  Walt looks for ways to "man him up".  There's a kind of sweet
partnership that evolves from these two unlikely friends.  But while
this film serves up light comedy, it's also heavy on tension as Walt
finds his situation increasingly complex as he teeters between his
principles and his prejudice.

"Gran Torino" is like a slingshot of foul-mouthed and macho bravado.
Yet, it is also a light drama and oddly funny because, in a huge
sense, Kowalski is a walking anachronism.  The melting pot generation
has arrived, and Walt, I think, never noticed and never wanted to
notice.  In manning up Thao, Walt grows a little bit too.

My grade doesn't reach "A" territory only because the final act isn't
what we expect or hope from Clint Eastwood.  It ends sort of flatly,
yet there seemed to be no other way to end this film.  The film is
respectable work if not completely riveting.  However, "Gran Torino"
is a reminder that, as Walt would put it, we all need to man up a bit.

Grade:	B+

S:	0 out of 3
L:	4 out of 3
V:	3 out of 3