Film Gran Torino

[TheDeceased]

I'm not usually a big fan of Eastwood and this was really no exception. In fact even with low expectations I was a little disappointed. The actor's that played Thao and Sue teetered backwards and forwards in their abilities between competent and downright terrible.

Overall the film is a little predictable and it's nothing that we haven't seen before at least a dozen times. Despite these (and many other) flaws the film is still watchable and entertaining. Eastwood's character is cartoonish - almost like a caricature of Dirty Harry. He actually growls through his teeth repeatedly like some sort of mangy old dog (which incidentally Clint is starting to resemble).

The film reminded me of seeing Robert De Niro in 'Analyze This' but at least it wasn't entirely self-deprecating. There is quite a lot of heart in 'Torino'... Probably too much really.

It comes off as if it's trying a little too hard to contrive a scenario in which an 80+ year old man could be an action hero but also trying too hard to make some sort of confused commentary about multi-cultural America and generation gaps.

It lacks subtlety (which isn't entirely surprising given the gun toting madman behind the camera and the rest of his body of work as a director) and loses it's impact with the repetition of details.

I guess I like to think about films... and Eastwood likes to slap people in the face with his penis. I don't think I'll bother with his next venture.

2 stars

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Film: Gran Torino

Rate this movie.

 

[TheDeceased]

Wow that was quick.

 

[The Liberal Media]

Classic
5/5

 

[slackboxed]

I thought it was a pretty good movie. Pretty sweet car too. I give it a 7/10

 

[captainballs]

The OP's review is pretty much on point. The kids came a little bit too close for comfort with their over-acting (or underacting, I don't know). It's not their fault, I have a feeling that Clint Eastwood didn't spend enough time coaching them and doing things that actors do when they want to create a film that is strong all the way around, such as creating a chemistry that doesn't look paper-thin between the characters. This is obviously an ego piece for Eastwood, as it is totally apparent that scenes where he was the main focus were given much more special treatment. That being said, Eastwood's character really does redeem the film to a certain extent. He is spot on in his performance, and I found his lines, facial expressions, and general demeanor to be both hilarious and realistic at the same time. He really had the chance to explore some interesting issues in this film, but they were skimmed over in a superficial manner inexplicably for the sake of putting those poorly-trained and barely bearable child actors on the screen. The movie would have been much better if those kids had just stayed quiet and been background characters - it wouldn't have hurt the plot or meaning of the film. Clint's character could have still faced his demons and redeemed himself in the same manner. Then again, it's more challenging to shoot a film or write a story that is both fantastic and closes in on one character with minimal interaction by supporting characters. Only a few flicks manage to pull it off ("Pi," for instance).

I just feel like with all the apparent effort that went into making Eastwood's character such a force, he could have at least balanced it out by making the supporting characters more effective. I can only speculate that he was either too lazy or just too out of touch to pull the story's deep ideas onto the screen without resorting to creating what were effectively Jar Jar Binxes as supporting actors with way too much screen time and not enough to offer.

However, I did enjoy the hell out of this movie and didn't feel like I had wasted my time by watching it. Clint Eastwood is hilarious, but the film could have been so much more. 3/5.

 

[TheSpade]

I saw some clips of it today and it looks comically bad. Over acted and cheesy. I don't think I'd want to see this.

Or maybe I do just for laughs.

 

[cletus]

You know when boxers have one fight too many? Well this is Clint's fight.

He was okay, but the rest of the cast were extremely poor & the whole thing was utter nonsense &..........erm....what was I saying.........yeah, that's right, totally forgettable. The onlyreason I remembered was because I saw this thread.

 

[tambourine-man]

Awwwww man. I was hoping this would be good. I wanted it to be a Harry Callahan swansong sorta thing. But these reports don't sound too good.

I suppose he's too old to pull this sort of shit off, and part of me had wondered if he'd end up looking like the sad figure of Charles Bronson in the latter Death Wish films.

 

[cletus]

So was I Tambo, but whenever he was pissed off, he kept doing the hooded eyes comedy growl from City Heat. Considering the last 5 or 6 movies he directed, I'm surprised this was made. He was maybe bored & filmed it one Sunday during the making of Changeling.

 

[TheSpade]

I think I want to watch it just to see how bad it is. :D

 

[TheSpade]

It's actually quite entertaining, I found it hilarious! :D

Agree that the rest of the cast are terrible. It was a total ridicolous film but that's what made it watchable. Funny stuff if nothing else.

 

[L2R]

i totally agree with both thedeceased and captainballs.

a very predictable tale with eastwood flavour and terrible acting from the two neighbours, along with one dimensional cartoon villainy of the silly gangs.

still in all its simplicity and failures, it moved me a bit

3/5

 

[drscience]

"you zipperheads make good gook food"

5 stars for sure.

 

[TheDeceased]

Good old fashioned racism.

 

[drscience]

Yes!! that's what i mean.

whens the last time you heard of an Asian person referred to as a slant? Thats old school.

my cheese eating surrender monkey cracker friends and I loved this film.

 

[TheSpade]

It's not something your going to buy on DVD or watch twice but it was really comical and totally ridicolous but that's what made it kind of enjoyable. The whole cinema was in stitches throughout which is always a bonus.

 

[denvercody]

Watched this movee yesteday and really enjoyed it. Gave it 4/5.

Clint is the man.

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

I gave this

.

I thought the acting was appalling for the most part although Clint was slightly better than the supporting actors.

I was intrigued from the beginning as the photography paints itself as an understated and dramatic film but it soon unfurled as a good VS evil, old VS young, white VS Asian lesson-laced film where an old man learns to 'love again'. Pleeeease. How many of these need to be made? 8)
Cliche after cliche kept cropping up and it felt like the various glaringly obvious points were made with all the subtlety of a hammer.

The ending really saved this from disintegrating into a pile of forgettable, predictable tripe. All in all a very ordinary piece of cinema.

 

[TheSpade]

It took me a while there to remember the ending, which says a lot about either the film or my memory.

I wanted to see Clint in the Gran Torino racing those gangsta in their motor, having a bit of a shoot out, no joy!