Gran Torino Reviews

I saw Gran Torino mainly as an admirer of Clint Eastwood, both as an actor and as director. And I was very impressed, there were parts that amused me and others that had me moved. Gran Torino was a very well made and beautifully directed movie, complete with a fitting soundtrack, a strong script with smooth enough tone shifts and a powerful message that is well conveyed and one that I think many, myself included, would identify with. The story is mostly engaging with an interesting protagonist, but there are a few moments where it is hackneyed and predictable, which is my only criticism of this movie. In regard to the acting, Clint Eastwood gives a very commanding performance and the kids are also very good mostly. Overall, very well done. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I enjoyed this film. Eastwood is about as snarly as I've ever seen him. He has taken Archie Bunker to the next level. He terrorizes his neighbors, is hateful to his children, and incredibly intolerant of a changing world. With that said, this is a story about redemption. It comes in small increments and the charm is not in what happens eventually, but what happens in each small doses. His slow developing relationship with the Hmong family next door. Because he steps in in a crisis situation, their culture sees him as a hero and sets out to reward him. They bring him endless presents and food. Because he leads such a lonely existence, he is slowly, but surely, pulled in. He keeps a balance of hatred for the punks he sees with a true love for those who have befriended him.l

The whole thing kind of slides off into predictability toward the end, but it's a good story and had to end some way, especially with Kowalski's self realizations and his rendezvous with death. The other thing is just watching a masterful actor take on this role and squeeze every last drop out of it.

Clint Eastwood is one of my favourite actors and I don't think I've seen a film with him in that I haven't liked but I haven't seen many of the ones he directed himself, however if they're all like this then I will be seeing a lot of them very soon.
Clint proves once again he's still the 'always cool, but don't f*ck with me bad ass' we know from his previous films, even when he's an old man.(Of course he proved this in Unforgiven as well)

"Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have fucked with? That's me."

The whole thing starts off with portraying Clint's character as a grumpy old man, which to be fair doesn't change much throughout the film, but he does come to accept the Koreans next door and eventually become fond of the son and daughter. He allows the son to work for him, although he origionally doesn't really care for him, eventually he starts attempting to build the kid up as more of a man, which makes for a nice storyline to smooth out the violence. If you take look past the friendly racism, Clint's character is really funny, you can also really feel the connection between him and his car, the Gran Torino, the car not just being special to him because he had a part in building it, but because it's a symbol of himself.
Although Clint's characters death at the end was inevitable, I really wasn't expecting it to happen the way it did, no way was I expecting him to go there unarmed! Although he proved himself to be the better man and got rid of the problem(s) like he wanted.
The cast seems mostly perfect for the roles, not sure if I cared much for Bee Vang performance as Thao, but other than that they all fitted, even Clint's son!

Asian girl: And you're a better man to him than our own father was. You're a good man.

Clint Eastwood: I'm not a good man. Get me another beer, Dragon Lady. This one's empty.

This is one of those hard, gritty, don't-watch-it-if-you're-a-soft-white-intellectual-or-a-Lutheran-minister kind of thing.

....

Although, now that Clint isn't my neighbor anymore....

I actually rather blame him for almost all of.... some of the things, at least.

He's just that damn impolite.

And that's not even to say that this rough man, who obviously does not lack courage, has any lack of honesty and realism, and even good will.

But think of how he would come off in *Seinfeld*.

Or even....

"Now John at the bar is a friend of mine; he gets me my drinks for free; and he's quick with a joke, or a light of your smoke, but there's someplace that he'd rather be." And who's that? John isn't Clint, although perhaps a few words might pass between them....

{"And the piano sounds like a carnaval, and microphone smells like a beer, and they sit at the bar, and put bread in my jar, and say, 'Man, what are you doin' here?' "}

"Now Paul is a real estate novelist, who never had time for a wife, and he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy, and probably will be for life." *Who never had time for a wife*.... *still in the Navy, and probably will be for life*.... Behold the man!

Honestly, sometimes I have to look at myself, and the ideals that have touched me, and actually just ask myself, what I'm holding up.

But, again.... It is what it is, but there is some good in it....

And it sure as fuck isn't fake.

....

Now Tom comes from a strange little family
On the tougher end of this town
And he talks with this old man who growls at him
Though he's not ever once let him down

Oh, la-la-la, didy-da, (why do you folks do *this*, to *me*?)

(9/10)

another great and amazing movie by Clint Eastwood. Great director and actor! Clint has a amazingly great performance in this movie!

As Clint Eastwood reaches the end of his life, he presents us with yet another performance which is nothing short of legendary. Wishing to preserve the element of surprise, I will not reveal anything by trying to analyse this great work of art.

I will say this. There are similar qualities to his previous work, but I would say that both his directing and acting have reached a level of maturity comparable to that of an excellent wine. The story was compelling and, mixed with the drama was a refined touch of humour; the perfect combination for a pleasant evening.

I would like to finish by thanking Mr. Eastwood for sharing this touching moment with his audience at a time when most of the cinematic "art" produced in Hollywood consists of stunts and bad jokes.

I think the movie was great, very realistic, and touching. Through the whole movie I sat still and gave it a thought...Its not a masterpiece maybe, but definitly woth watching.

To be honest, from all the recent directing efforts by Clint Eastwood, it must be easily the most overrated one. I mean, it is not that it was a bad movie, it was actually pretty good but I seriously failed to see what was so great about it. I know everybody says this flick is awesome and it is even in the IMDB Top 250 but, personally, I thought it was actually seriously overrated. The only reason I can think of is that it is because Clint Eastwood was in it and that's why everybody was raving about it. I'll give you that, Eastwood was really good and displayed the same charisma he used to have in those Spaghetti Westerns he used to make in the good old days. Unfortunately, the movie didn't have much else to offer, in my opinion. Indeed, the other characters were barely developed and the story would have been more interesting if Eastwood's character would have been a really awful racist *sshole. The guy basically pretends all the way to be a dick but he is in fact actually a rather nice fellow deep inside (rather mushy if you ask me). To conclude, I have to admit, I did like this flick, absolutely, but considering it as one of the best movies directed by and starring Eastwood? no way. Still, it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Clint Eastwood's work.

L'eastwood di sempre, il mondo di oggi. I vicini, le mode, i costumi cambiano. E ti cambiano. A poco a poco. E l'eastwood/kowalski di sempre diventa un Eastwood tutto nuovo.
Ottimo.
E stupenda l'omonima canzone di Jamie Cullum e Clint Eastwood.

Three stars for the amount of disappointment that this film brought me. The plot was promising. I love Clint Eastwood as the racist old the antihero and the social commentary that would have left me with a wonderful impression of the film if any of the characters would have been able to act their way out of a box. I have finally figured out Clint Eastwood's secret to success: surround himself with actors that are so absolutely terrible that he actually looks like an oscar winner in whatever role he's playing. With the plethora of Asian actors out there, why exactly did he have to choose the two who have no clue?

My advice to Mr. Eastwood? Find a better casting director and stick to directing.