Review of Gran Torino (2008) by Dave M — 11 Feb 2013

Clearly this movie has issues. The acting is terrible. The script is tacky and rushed. But somehow none of that really bothered me when you look at the one quality side the film had going for it; Clint Eastwood. In what feels like a retirement performance, Eastwood compiles together all of his best iconic character trademarks and turns them into a crotchety old racist prick.

Eastwood's style has always been to shoot the first draft of a script with only one take per shot, and that style has never been so apparent than in Gran Torino. To his credit, he still pulls it off, but ooooo... it could've been so much more tightly put together. Give the gang members less cliche' dialogue than, "yo homes, the fuck you trippin fo?" Allow your young Asian actors more than one take because the delivery just wasn't what it could've been. But I respect it. Who the fuck am I to judge?

So Eastwood is the main focus here as the Korean War Vet with serious racial issues where rarely a line is uttered that doesn't involve something incredibly offensive. So much so that it becomes hilarious, and then it's almost as if he wants it to become an endearing quality, which I'm not so sure how I feel about that. Anyway, the racist bastard has a heart of gold after he channels some Dirty Harry against the neighborhood gang. It's set in Michigan which is pimp and the story just drifts along briskly as the old man finds a purpose.

The greatest parts of the script are in the subtext about the Gran Torino, age, race, and violence. However, none of those issues are ever actually discussed, therefore, you kinda have to read into the film. Don't just look at it on the surface. As far as Eastwood films go, it's lower in terms of craft and artistry, but in terms of entertainment, I'd put it right of there with Every Which Way But Loose sans orangutan.