REVIEW: Gran Torino
January 17th 2009 05:05
Gran Torino
Oh, I've got one. A Mexican, a Jew, and a colored guy go into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, "Get the fuck out of here."
- Walt KowalskiRelease Date: 29 January 2009
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, Ahney Her.
Runtime: 116 min
In a Nutshell: After losing his wife, Walt’s (Eastwood) grouchy personality collides with the urban gang fare that has grown around him. He refuses to abandon the neighborhood he's lived in for decades, and forms an unlikely friendship with a Hmong boy (Vang) who lives next door.
Trailers can have a funny effect on expectations. They can bring in big opening numbers, but can also piss a lot of people off. People going into Sam Mendes' Jarhead (2005) expected a guns blazing action move but instead witnessed an amazing representation of the modern soldier – though most didn’t appreciate it. Shyamalan’s The Village (2004) depiction of a failed utopia surprised many looking forward to a cheap horror flick after it was horribly miss-advertised. Going into Gran Torino – and judging from the trailer – I expected an old school Eastwood kicking punks on every street corner to the ground with fists of fury and a heavy set-piece finale. What I got was a wonderfully drawn friendship between a stubborn war veteran and a Hmong teenage boy needing some guidance – even at 78 Eastwood has proved on and off camera he’s still got it.
No this isn’t an all guns blazing affair but the simple story is held together by Eastwood’s ability to draw us in with characters that we all share an affinity with. At one time or another we’ve all seen an older uncle or grandfather whose generation was so traditionally valued we can’t help admire it. Walt (Eastwood) is old school. He hates punks and kids that don’t give respect. Fair enough yeah? But he commands it to an extreme where his own family have turned away from him, and the ones that show interest are usually told where to go or belittled by racist remarks. Yet amongst all the bigoted looks and comments he is respected by a neighbouring Hmong girl (Lohr), and eventually develops a likeness to the rest of the family – even taking a young Hmong boy Thao (Vang) under his wing. He’s admittedly wronged in the past (being a Korean war vet), but eventually seeks to atone his sins and see to it that the boy is not swayed by thugs and street gangs. There are plenty of funny moments throughout – with one scene in particular where Walt and his barber teach Thao how to “talk like a man”. But out of all the great qualities in this film – and there are many – it is let down by a simple fact that most of the supporting cast are rubbish.
Eastwood likes to gamble in his films. He admitted to casting virtual unknowns to give an extra sense of realism and authenticity. The problem when you do this is no matter how well they are directed, amateur acting alongside an Oscar winning veteran is very distracting and unsettling. In particular the different street gangs and punks used who banter with Eastwood seem more suited to a Fast and the Furious flick. They bumble while trying to look menacing but just appear out of their league. Christopher Carley as Father Janovich is hard to watch. His one tone acting should have been replaced after the first scene and it’s quite amazing it wasn’t. Though credit goes to Eastwood for directing his two young leads in a style you eventually warm to – though there are stumbling blocks the pair eventually rise to a required standard in the finale.
However the strength in the film is the unfolding of the story. The pace is perfect, and watching the finer pieces work together in harmony is another Eastwood specialty. The score fits perfectly, right to the last heartwarming scene. Each track elevates the suspense when needed, as with the lighter touches of silence that work alongside Eastwood’s grim speech.
Gran Torino shows that no matter who or how old you are sometimes everyone needs to grow up and appreciate those they have around them. The relationship between Thao and Walt is the heart of the film, and the reason it seeks it’s teeth into us. The end is clever, surprising and unconventional. But what else could we expect from the man who sucker punched us with Million Dollar Baby? Just don’t expect another Dirty Harry action entry.
Worth It?
A wonderful story of friendship that most audiences will fall into, but is hampered by an amateur supporting cast.
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