Gran Torino
Gran Torino is a tough film to review. I liked a lot of things about it, however, at nearly every turn the movie is held back by its underwhelming supporting cast and often cheesy dialogue.
In typical Clint Eastwood fashion, the main character of Gran Torino grits his teeth and growls a lot. This is to be expected. What I did not expect and what I liked most about the film was the humor provided by this character and his interactions with his family, neighbors and especially his barber. Eastwood's underestimated comic ability is the strength of the film.
Unfortunately, the rest of Gran Torino doesn't hold up to Eastwood's high standard. The side plot involving neighborhood gangs is tiresome and overwrought. This is only exacerbated by the horrible acting from the supporting cast who play the neighbors and gang members. I would have preferred seeing a character piece about an old man's realization that maybe his Asian neighbors aren't so bad and growing as a person in the process. Gran Torino tries to accomplish this, but it can't seem to get away from old-man-Dirty-Harry-esque grand standing. I'm not asking for a sappy, PC film about racial prejudice; I just don't want a movie that treads water and telegraphs its ending for half the film. Gran Torino is not a bad movie, it's just not nearly as good as the reviews it has received. 3/5
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