Gran Torino
Dir: Clint Eastwood
2008
***
Gran Torino is classic Clint Eastwood in front of and behind the camera. In front of the camera he plays a grumpy old man and behind the camera he riddles the film with loads of conflicting views. You don't have to be left or right to be racist but racism aside, he flutters into leftist thinking quite a bit for a stanch republican. The idea is right but the execution is all wrong, it's Clint Eastwood film making to the letter. The message is sort of there but it is muddied by a huge ego and somewhat narrow-mindedness. Don't get me wrong, I actually like his films and the really terrible ones to some degree, but probably for all the wrong reasons. But then everyone likes Clint Eastwood, he's a one off, there is no one else like him which is lucky for him as I'm afraid he's a bit of a one trick pony.