Skip to main content

The Official Crimefile Review of Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino

Westwood Village, Los Angeles, CA—Okay so I’ve been a Clint Eastwood fan all the way back to those Spaghetti Westerns of the late 1960s. How can an Eastwood fan not see any film he both directs and stars in?

Gran Torino is about a retired Michigan autoworker and aging Korean War vet, Walt Kowalski who just lost his wife. He’s now finding that he has to make some serious social adjustments to today’s new society. He is about to embark on adventures we’d all like to avoid.

Kowalski’s most important prized possession is a mint condition Ford Gran Torino.

Kowalski can’t seem to connect with his two adult son’s or their families. I met Kowalski many times in this life. He’s a composite of so many older military veterans that have returned to an ungrateful nation.

Along the way Kowalski has to deal with thugs in a way that made Eastwood’s films so popular. Torino offers a lot more to than vengeance and curbside justice.

Walt Kowalski has to deal with the next door neighbors who happen to be Hmong immigrants. There are serious clashes with ethnic gangs of hood rats.

This is an actor’s film instead of something loaded with special effects and expensive sets. It gets by on high octane acting alone. I see some Academy Awards in the future for these fine stars. Ahney Her, Bee Vang and Christopher Carley who all rock as their young characters help Kowalski reestablish his relevance as a person.

This film is one of Eastwood’s finest.
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
I agree CF,one of Mr. Eastwood best works.At first I thought it was going to be a Death Wish type movie but was pleasantly surprised.
January 17, 2009 8:29 PM
Anonymous said…
based on your recommendation alone I will go see this flick (and the fact that he seems to be handling an M1 Garand...my favorite weapon hee hee)

Pl
January 17, 2009 8:44 PM
Socialism Sucks said…
Can you believe he looks that good at SEVENTY EIGHT YEARS OLD?
January 18, 2009 5:06 AM
Anonymous said…
I look forward to seeing this movie, but I will have to wait for it to be available on rental or purchase, due to the fact that there will be assholes in the audience that will piss me off. I am planning to see Taking Chance at the theatre, and I guarantee if someone fucks up that viewing for me I will probably end up in lock up.
January 18, 2009 8:57 PM
Mad Jack said…
I saw it, and it's excellent. I know men like Walt, and Clint Eastwood looks and acts the part with such realism that I tended to forget I was sitting in the theater.
January 24, 2009 1:28 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A 40 Caliber Nightmare Is Caught On Tape.

So you’re confident that that .40 caliber S&W service round will keep you safe. Maybe you’ll have second thoughts after you see this video. One hot summer night in 1994 Tempe and Mesa Arizona police were involved in a pursuit with this suspect who ran into a stranger’s apartment to hide after being shot TWICE in the chest. He was shirtless and you can see the blood pumping out of those two wounds. What’s really frightening is just how agile this fellow is as he struts to the ambulance. If he was not handcuffed and had a knife or a gun, ask yourself if he could still hurt you, your partner or a hostage? If your jurisdiction demands that officers carry either the 9MM or the .40 Caliber S&W it’s time to show this video to your bosses and lobby to have the .45 ACP round authorized. The switch may well reduce the screaming by self-appointed community activists about how many rounds police had to use on a suspect. The really talented and courageous video journalist, Karen Ke...
64 comments
Read more

The origin of the feature film, COME FRIDAY…

CLick On the pictures to see full size versions. Long ago there was a young lady I had the hots for in a big way (Yes, I know that hots is not a word). She was pretty, incredibly bright, and had some real elegance about her. She had a love for children and basic kindness that you don’t often see in someone her age. I met her parents and could understand she came from a much more stable home than mine. I was raised by a single, welfare mom and suddenly found myself way out-classed. For whatever reasons things did not workout they way I had hoped. Sadly for me, we went on our separate ways. From time to time I’d run into this lady in various places where our job had taken us. Whenever this happened my heart would skip a beat or two. I left my hometown Chicago, and moved to Arizona where I founded my detective agency. As a private eye and soon a TV news producer too, my career took me to the highest profile criminal events in Arizona and throughout the country. There’s no question that ...
42 comments
Read more

America Will See Its Worst Race Riot Yet This Summer

Star Prosecution Witness, Rachel Jeantel Sanford, FL —Yes, the George Zimmerman trial here has thousands of African-Americans getting ready for some serious bloodletting. I don’t want to make idle and dire predictions but this nation has never been so divided and racially sensitive.  Our African-American President took sides on this case at the very beginning.  That ratified a George Zimmerman guilty verdict in the minds of millions. There’s just one little problem, and that is the murder case should have never been filed.  It was filed purely for political reasons despite the fact that it was a simple justifiable homicide.  Zimmerman was on the block watch lookout program and followed a suspicious Trayvon Martin after he used an improper entrance to a gated community.  Zimmerman was acting as the eyes and ears of the Sanford Police Department. Martin did not like being followed and knew that he could easily beat up the out-of-shape...
80 comments
Read more