gran torino - a review

Fight for what is right. Stand up for the weak against the strong. Good versus evil. These can all sum up this movie made by Clint Eastwood. The car is the metaphor for the man, old but still classy.

Set in Michigan where neighborhoods have been abandoned by the white folk due to the influx of immigrant population and gangs, the movie tells a story that in some ways defines America.

Walt Kowalski (most likely a descendant of a polish immigrant) is a retired Ford worker and a Korean War veteran who has seen the demographics of his neighborhood change. One who has lived a good American middle class life and has provided well for his family. He likes to bad mouth at the drop of a hat and has a gruff exterior. He minds his own business and appears to dislike the ‘tooks’ who are his neighbors now.

But just like the history of this great country, Walt sees these immigrants for who they really are and starts interacting with them. His children have their own lives and though appear to want to help their father they aren’t very successful in reaching across to him. So Walt gets involved in his neighbors lives and their troubles. He becomes a father figure to Thao who has the burden of being the ‘man of the house’ where he lives with his sister, mother and grandmother. Thao is rescued from getting sucked into gang life and is taught the value of a hard days work, to speak up against injustice and to muster the courage to ask a girl out on a date. All very American…..

The priest is there to remind Walt of his wife and the fact that he hasn’t confessed in a long time. In this day and age where churches across the country are closing down due to financial crunch and diminishing attendance, the boyish priest tries to appear involved in his patron’s life and his surroundings.

The movie is well made as one would expect form Mr. Eastwood. It is thoroughly entertaining with great one-liners and good acting. The interactions between Thao’s grandmother and Walt are some of the highlights of the movie.

However this is also a Clint Eastwood movie which will not be remembered for too long. It is a good movie but not in the league of Changeling, Million dollar baby or Mystic River. But the pace at which Eastwood is making movies, I am sure we will be seeing another masterpiece very soon.