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Directed By
Clint Eastwood
Written By:
Nick Schenk, Dave Johannson
Cast:
Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Hughes, John Carroll Lynch, Cory Hardrict, Dreama Walker, Brian Haley, Brian Howe, Christopher Carley, Jerry Lee, Sarah Neubauer, Rio Scafone, William C. Fox, Tony Stef'Ano, Lee Mong Vang, Nana Gbewonyo, Brooke Chia Thao, Michael E. Kurowski, John Anton, Ramon Camacho, Elvis Thao, Austin Douglas Smith, Sonny Vue, Arthur Cartwright, Anthony Moscato, Doua Moua, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Choua Kue, Chee Thao
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Gran Torino (2009)
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Movie Review by Jesse
December 14th, 2008
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Gran Torino (2008)
director: Clint Eastwood
starring: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Christopher Carley, John Carroll Lynch
One critically acclaimed and highly successful film in one year clearly isn't enough for Clint Eastwood. After his Cannes premiere of Changeling, a wave of acclaim flooded over Eastwood and Jolie. Now, with his latest film, Gran Torino, Eastwood can be sure to brace himself this time because another smash-hit is born. When the trailer for this film came online for the first time, I didn't know what to think of this. I was intrigued by the plot, thrown off by the unknown actors and kind of iffy about Eastwood's acting. I have to say that this trailer does the film no justice. The film should not have a trailer because it just ruins the film's impact, in my opinion.
The first twenty minutes or so of this film felt long, dull and all-in-all... horrible. I was worried because I expected a lot. Once the film picked up, however, it kept going and didn't stop. What saved the beginning of this film for me was Eastwood's performance. I can see why he won the National Board of Review's Best Actor award for his work in this film. His character was interesting to watch; a strong, manly man, yet heartfelt and sincere. His chemistry with the two supporting children was well developed, also. This film had many similar scenes and themes as Taxi Driver. To me, they were blatantly obvious, but I guess through Nick Schenk's screenplay, they were masked well. This isn't a flaw I'm pointing out because I think the Taxi Driver-related sequences enhanced the film's story and character development.
Eastwood's direction here wasn't as good as his direction of Changeling, but his performance in this film is the highlight of his year. I can easily see him being nominated once again for Best Actor. However, he will have trouble winning if he is up against Penn, Langella and Rourke. These four male performances are some of the best I have EVER seen and they are all from the same year. I would like to say this is unfortunate, but I am very glad to have seen such fine acting done withing the span of a mere twelve months.
Already having two NBR awards and a Golden Globe nomination in its pocket, this film should have no trouble with the critics. I have hope for this film and I can see it being widely loved by people of different ages. It's not appropriate for children, but I do think that its message is universal. The film tackles a subject which is pressing in today's society and very graphic in its depiction. Gran Torino is topical, emotional, original and beautiful. The story is inspiring and the outcome is heartbreaking. It leaves you shocked, sad, yet pleased. It's definitely a crowd pleaser. Once again, kudos to Clint Eastwood on a marvelous film.
Grade: B+
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