Author: Andrew Kerr
Review Date: 2009-06-15


Description:

A disgruntled Korean War vet, Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino.

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Gran Torino Review:

Clint Eastwood plays Walter Kowalski, a retired Ford autoworker and decorated veteran of the Korean War. Among the last of a dying breed, the grizzled Kowalski is disappointed in his two sons and their self-absorbed brats, irritated by the seemingly careless nature of younger generations who have never had to work hard for what they have been provided, and angered by the decline of his traditional values. With the death of his wife, Kowalski wants nothing more from his neighbors and family than to be left alone. Life of course is never so accommodating.

Kowalski takes notice of his new neighbors, an Asian widow living with her elderly mother and her two teenage children, Sue and Thao. We learn that Thao has recently been recruited by a local Hmong gang, and under pressure from his cousin, the leader of the gang, has reluctantly agreed to complete the gang's initiation. One night, Kowalski discovers a flashlight shining through his garage window. Wasting no time, he grabs his M1 Garand rifle, loads a clip of ammunition, and storms in to discover Thao haphazardly attempting to steel his prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport. Looking down a rifle barrel at the grizzled face of an angry white man is enough to scare Thao into running away. The gang returns to Thao's house the next night to give him another opportunity to impress them, but Thao's refusal and his sister's warnings for them to stay away result in a brawl as the gang attempts to press Thao into cooperating. When the fight spills into Kowalski's yard, he puts an end to it, this time pointing his M1 at the gang's leader and commanding them to "get off my lawn!"

By the next day, the entire neighborhood has heard of Kowalski's heroic confrontation with the local gang and brings him food in tribute. Reluctant at first, Kowalski gives in and enjoys the friendly advances of Sue, Thao's mature sister, who invites Kowalski over for a barbecue with her family where he meets and learns to appreciate his Hmong neighbors. Later, Thao's mother and sister accompany Thao to ask that he be permitted to work for Kowalski to repay his debt for having attempted to steal his car and reclaim his family's honor. Kowalski reluctantly accepts and gives Thao laborious work to do around his house such as beautifying his lawn and
maintaining an abandoned property across the street. Kowalski develops a fondness for Thao and attempts to help him become a man according to his standards.

The Hmong gang revisits Thao who continues to ignore them. They rejoin by burning his cheek with a cigarette. When Kowalski learns of this, he tracks down the gang's leader and beats him nearly to unconsciousness. Holding his .45 caliber pistol in the gang leader's face, Kowalski threatens trouble if the gang ever bothers Thao again. When the gang retaliates with a drive-by shooting of Thao's house as well as raping his sister Sue, Kowalski realizes that something more drastic must be done to make sure Thao and his family are safe.

Not surprisingly, Eastwood does a tremendous job in this role, amusing audiences with his best impression of a racist, ornery old bastard with a heart of gold. The bond his character forms with his Hmong neighbors and Thao in particular is touching and convincing.

Supporting cast members do a good job, yet Bee Vang's portrayal of Thao is somewhat stiff and unconvincing at times. Christopher Carley, as the parish priest refusing to turn his back on Walt Kowalski, occasionally seems to regurgitate the exact wording of the script without adding much humanity to his performance, though Eastwood effortlessly carries the scenes between the two.

Ahney Her plays a very eloquent and outspoken sister to Thao, and her interaction with Eastwood throughout the film is certainly among the most entertaining. John Carroll Lynch injects the script with a colorful performance as the Italian barber who can match Kowalski in epithets and friendly insults.

Overall, the film captures the bleakness of an age in decline. Filmed outside Detroit, Michigan, Gran Torino hints of a by-gone era and summons audiences' nostalgic impressions of the "Greatest Generation." We sympathize with Kowalski and remember that traditional American values are occasionally worth fighting for.

Special features on this release include numerous featurettes in HD such as Manning The Wheel: The Meaning Of Manhood As Reflected In American Car Culture, Gran Torino: More Than A Car, and The Eastwood Way: Exploring the Actor/Director's Filmmaking Process Up Close.


Rating: B+