Gran Torino (2008)

Gran Torino (2008)

7/10

Starring

Clint Eastwood

Directed by Clint Eastwood

When a movie like this grazes the screen it just blows you away. I was very curious how the movie handled the Hmong people and I went online to read about the production. The cool thing was that Clint Eastwood cast Hmong actors, including amateur actors which is very obvious.

The movie is a keeper and the comedy comes at you in ways you will not expect. The movie itself is a drama, but it had some mad thrilling events and the way the movie grows on you makes you not want to miss any thing.

Here is an old man finding it hard to make the best of his life. His wife just died and as an old war veteran, she was the only thing in his life that gave it stability. Her death pushed him off the edge a little. Hating life and everyone in it, until one day his neighbor a young Hmong tried to steal his car. That day he stopped the man and by doing so without his knowledge thwarted his chance of joining a gang. The gang came back trying to get the boy named Thao to try again. When the whole Hmong family objected, the gang became violent and our old man, Walt came out with a gun and saved the day.

The next day the Hmong community tried to show appreciation and there he met Thao’s sister Sue. The next time he sees her she is being harassed by some thugs and he goes there to save her. Now he is somewhat dragged into their life. The Hmong people started to be like his own family and the movie takes a turn from cool to great.

Clint Eastwood was just ahead of himself in this one, pulling off so much acting masterpiece that this movie started with a limited release then turned out to make more than ten times its $25 million production budget.

The movie also carries us into how Walt decided to handle the problem of the community he was living in. Being an old veteran and having issues with his own children and unable to find a way to connect with his grandchildren, the only people that knew anything about him were his neighbors. Same people you can hear him mutter racist remarks at.

Thao became like a mentee to him, and soon Thao and Sue were able to break this old veteran and he was willing to put himself in the line of fire to protect not just them, but the whole Hmong people from the gangs.

This is a movie that if you have missed seeing it back in December 2008, you should get to see it now. It is still amazing and just rings the bell in all the right places. If you are familiar with Clint Eastwood works, you will now that there are some deep dark events in this movie that were really sad.