Gran Torino

Clint Eastwood has recently announced that Gran Torino will be the last movie that he'll be acting in, and if that's truly the case then he picked a fine vehicle to make his exit in. Mr. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed, retired Ford assembly line worker who's one of the last white hold-outs in an increasingly Asian Hmong neighborhood. He's none too happy about his changing neighborhood, and pretty much about everything else as well. Early on in the film he defends a teenage Hmong boy who lives next door against a gang made up of young Hmong toughs. As a result of this act he becomes a hero to his neighbors and begins receiving an onslaught of gifts from them in the form of food and flowers. Slowly he begins to bond with the young boy who was being pressured to join the gang against his will, and takes him under his wing. Mr. Eastwood plays angry and bigoted, but of course deep down you know he's a good guy. He has some big regrets which are revealed as the movie unfolds, and this has obviously effected his less than ingratiating personality. This is an excellent story with fine acting not only by Mr. Eastwood, but by a group of relatively new Asian actors. This is a must see for anyone who appreciates a fine, and very entertaining motion picture.

Rating - 4 stars