Gran Torino is a must see!
Yesterday we stood in line with about 150 people in the lobby of a local multiplex waiting to see Eastwood's newest movie. Maybe because it was the last show before the full price movies begin or maybe because everyone knew they would get home before it got too late, nearly everyone standing in line was in the same age group as me!! Not a young person in sight, wow what did that mean?
The theater continued to filled as we all watched the endless commercials and previews. Finally,the show began just as I heard a woman several rows behind be say, "Wake up honey, it's starting."
Clint Eastwood is at his best in this movie. The character development is superb. He is an amalgam of Dirty Harry and everyone's worse neighbor. He raises "crotchety" to the highest possible art form. This is an engaging drama representing real life in a number of urban areas. Declining jobs and increasing unemployment,neighborhoods changing, young people finding esteem by joining gangs and rejecting their ethnic culture; a recipe for conflict and discontent.
The movie has a slight "documentary" feel to it. The scenes are raw and not contrived, complete with street sounds and no special lighting or effects. The actors, except for Eastwood, are unknown or first time performers found in casting calls. This compliments the total feel of the movie.
Just as the you are lulled into thinking they can predict the ending of the movie, everything changes. This is a movie about families and friendships, and regrets and promises. You will talk about this movie long after you have left the theater.
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