Review of Gran Torino (2008) by Matt M — 26 Mar 2013

An old, bitter Korean veteran full of pride regrets becomes a friend of a Hmong boy who reluctantly tried to steal his most prized possession, a Gran Torino, as part of an initiation rite for a gang and against his own seemingly bigoted character protects the kid and the family from the gang and accepts and learns to appreciate foreign cultures.

The film is a matured recipe of storytelling that defines Eastwood's best directorial efforts; here he mixes important racial issues and tension with a classic cinema noir style suspense but also a quirky humor that can be particularly appreciated in the dialogue of the lead character which Eastwood himself portrays so brilliantly.