I was surprised by how much I liked this movie. At this point I feel like the only roles Eastwood can profit from are the ones that deconstruct his persona. I can't imagine him playing a role that separates him from it, but a role that draws from it, and comments on it, and uses it wisely is immensely satisfying to watch. Eastwood's persona, and his deft directing of his own persona without loads of unnecessary ego (which only makes Clint Eastwood even more awesome), manage to streamline the characterization and distract from the kind of clumsy script and make the interaction between Hollywood's oldest and gruffest acting veteran and the two rookie leads incredibly moving instead of painfully sappy.
I kind of like the way Eastwood directs--it's nothing flashy, just sticks to basics, very well-controlled. It's easy to see his influences lie along the lines of John Ford and the classics. I wasn't a huge fan of the cinematography, but that may have been the streaming quality. The funny moments were the real gems of the movie: the casual interactions between Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) and his Hmong neighbors after his initial rebuttals. They were priceless. I also LOVE that they cast all nonprofessionals to play the Hmong in the movie. When they are directed well, nonprofessional actors can give such astonishing performances!
This movie also brought to light something that a lot of people may not realize about ethnic tensions in America: they won't be solved by policy in Washington. It takes baby steps in shitty Detroit suburbs and sometimes extraordinary circumstances for various ethnicities to see each other not as stereotypes, but as human beings. Gran Torino did a superb job of illustrating the plausibility of an incredibly bitter, bigoted Korean War vet actually befriending, and staunchly defending, his Asian neighbors. I really appreciated that message.
This movie also gets some points for making Annie and I cry at the end, simultaneously, so that we turned to each other and each got kind of embarrassed. It's a real tearjerker.
Huh! I am impressed that you liked this movie so much. All I have to say about it (I haven't seen it) is that whoever made the previews for it should be fired. I saw that preview so many times, and it dragged on...and on...and on, and made the movie look super boring. I actually got bored DURING the preview, which, while no small feat, is not, I believe, what they usually go for. Also, I love previews more than movies usually, and I feel like we're in a real dry spot of Great Ones.
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