GRAN TORINO

To a certain demographic, there is a clear division between the young and the old, the rich and the poor, and the exotic and the plain. But as far as I'm concerned, it's all about the individual rather than the collective. To see what I mean, please check out the following 116-minute film released in 2008. It was directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Clint with Bee Vang, Ahney Her, and Christopher Carley.


Gran Torino

THE STORY:

After burying his beloved wife, several people begin to view Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) in a variety of different ways.

To his estranged sons, Mitch and Steve (Brian Haley and Brian Howe), Walt is a stubborn old fool who needs taking care of. His padre, Father Janovich (Christopher Carley), on the other hand, sees him as a surly ex-army vet who needs to confess his sins. And as for the Lor family? Walt is nothing more than their miserable next-door neighbour with a really great car.

Well, that's what the Lor's think about Walt when they're first introduced to him. But after a while, their opinions gradually change when he saves two members of their family. Initially, he saves the youngest son, Thao (Bee Vang), from a gang of gooks, and then a day or so later, he saves the eldest daughter, Sue (Ahney Her), from a gang of spades.

To thank him for his good deeds, the Lor family ply Walt with presents and exotic foods fit for Dirty Harry himself. Then, when it is revealed to them that Thao tried to steal Walt's car following his gook attack, Thao is forced to run errands for Walt for a whole week.

Still, that's most probably why what next transpires kicks off when Thao gets a job and Walt starts spitting blood. As a gook gang returns - a family crash and burns - a confession is finally confessed - and please don't wait up, Walt always knows what's best.

THE REVIEW:

While watching 'Grand Torino', I couldn't help but identify with two of the main characters... Walt and Thao. To me, Walt is very much like my own Mother's Father. No. I won't refer to him as granddad because the nutty old f*ck-wit was hardly involved in my life, largely due to difficulty engaging with people who weren't on a similar level as himself. Thao, on the other hand, reminds me of my good mate Mike because they're both Asian, they're both good-natured, and they're both easy targets, saying so even though they could do very well with their respective lives, but only if someone were willing to give them some much-needed guidance.

Please note, this isn't a character assassination. It's more of an observation about an archetype that I could connect with on a very personal level. And to me, that's a good thing for any film to accomplish.

But before I start comparing the rest of the characters in this flick with superheroes, let's jog my brain a bit with some filmic-facts: (1) Warner Bros released this $33 million production on the 12th of December, 2008, eventually making back $269 million at the box office. (2) Most of this film was shot on location throughout the American state of Michigan, including Royal Oak, Centre Line, Detroit, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Park, and Highland Park. (3) Walt Kowalski, the character Clint plays in this yarn, is named after the legendary wrestler of the same 'Killer' name. (4) Although this project was scheduled to be shot in 35 days, like many of Clint's other movies, it was shot within its designated time frame... 33 days. Unlike many of Clint's other movies, though, his character only shoots a gun once, and even then, that was by accident. (5) So far, this adventure has been the most lucrative project for Clint Eastwood. However, if you take inflation into account, 'Every Which Way But Loose' and 'Any Which Way You Can' inadvertently surpass it. (6) Prior to its release, this film was falsely rumoured to be the final chapter in the 'Dirty Harry' film franchise. (7) Not only did Clint's second-to-youngest son, Scott Clinton Reeves, play the part of Trey in this film, but his eldest son, Kyle Eastwood, also provided the musical score for it. (8) Even though the Academy Awards and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences both failed to recognise the brilliance of this film, in the same breath, the American Film Institute, the National Board of Review, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Golden Globes, the Art Directors Guild, and the César Awards didn't.

OK, so where was I? Oh, yes... 'Grand Torino'. A film I could associate with because my mate is a stray and my Mother's Father is a prick. Anyway, as you might have guessed by now, I do love this movie because it has so much going for it. It's well-acted. It tells a human story. And it evolves a diverse relationship.

Honestly, I can't find any fault with this film. One of the standout aspects for me would have to be how Walt's conservative take on life was strengthened the more he got to know the Lor family. 

I also enjoyed the episodic structure of the overall narrative and how it was clearly divided into five fairly even parts. Part One: Say hello to Walt. Part Two: Say hello to the Lor family. Part Three: Walt and the Lor family say hello to each other. Part Four: Walt takes Thao under his wing. Part Five: Boom!

I could go on and on and on, praising 'Grand Torino' till the cows come home, stating how I loved watching Walt and the Ninja granny stare each other out while sitting on their respective porches. Or better yet, I could surmise about the parallels between Walt's character and the Marv character from Sin City (click on the link to see why). I could also extrapolate about the dichotomy of 'old school' people compared to 'new world' people. But I won't. I don't have to. This is a class film, and in my opinion, it's a must-watch for anyone who likes following an evolving and engaging story. Agreed, Clint?

What a guy!

THE RATING: A+