Gran Torino Synopsis
Korean War veteran Walter "Walt" Kowalski (Eastwood) has just suffered the loss of his wife of many decades. His life is one of dissapointment, having little contact with his two sons and disrespectful grandchildren. Living in a big city suburb filled with growing groups of immigrants, the curmudgeonly Walt feels overwhelmed by the lack of American neighbors, and harbors ill will towards them, preferring to keep to himself, drinking beer a home, and spending time with his beloved dog, Daisy.
That all changes one night, when the next-door teen neighbor, a young and impressionable Hmong boy named Thao (Bee Vang), is pressured by some local gang members to join their ranks, being told to steal Walt's prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino as a rite of passage.
Thao gets caught in the act, and is held at riflepoint by an embittered Walt, who sees this as yet another example of the lack of morals he expects from his foreign neighbors. Thao is soon made to make amends to Walt, by his sister Sue (Ahney Her), also a Hmong girl, who is wiser to American mores and trends.
After several interactions with Sue and Thao, Walt slowly lears to accept them for who they are, and becomes protective of them. His cool exterior slowly changes, and becomes a small yet vital part of their lives. Walt soon hs to deal with the aforementioned gang members, who still seek the respect of strangers, be it by way of the gun or not. Walt soon engages into a game of wits, to rid his neighborhood of this latest threat, while protecting his new friends.
Gran Torino Analysis
Eastwood doesn't disappoint in his latest project, playing a bitter character in search of some form of redemption. Through his portrayal of Walt, Eastwood shows us a flawed, angry man, who barely gives a chance to anyone, including his children, and the young priest from his parish (Christopher Carley, in a good performance for a relatively new actor to the big screen).
Many could say this old war veteran is nothing more than a different flavor to the same Dirty Harry archetype Eastwood is well know for, however he approaches this role as a man with much to lose, who only realizes too late he had so much to live for.
The theme of acceptance and second chances is explored in this story by Nick Schenk and Dave Johannson. Each character slowly opens up to new possibilities, and realize that violence isn't always the way to go.
Ahney Her is a delight to watch as Sue, the spunky Americanized Hmong neighbor, watching her quick draw banter with Eastwood's character is a high point of the film. Sadly, young actor Bee Vang (who plays Thao) is badly miscast, having little action ability, or screen presence, to play opposite such an intense actor as Eastwood. Whether the director had hoped to generate some chemistry between the two extremes in acting range, it failed badly.
This film is rumored to be the last film Clint Eastwood will appear in front of the camera, focusing on directing duties instead. Given his recent successes behind the lens, audiences can only rejoice as he continues to handpick quality projects, exploring further aspects of American culture and history.
8 out of 10, for another solid performance by Clint, despite an inexperienced co-star
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