WIN is broadcasting Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" tonight. I saw it on first release in the cinema. It's a good movie.
I love Eastwood's work as a director. "Gran Torino" received some mixed reviews. The use of amateur Hmong actors was criticized and some performances - even Clint's - were described as wooden.
I prefer to think that every performance, every scene, is how Director Eastwood wanted it to be.
There's an authenticity in the amateur actors which I'm not sure professional actors (even if Eastwood could have found any) would have achieved.
I really like the New York Times review. It captures the contribution that Eastwood as an actor makes to this film. It has been suggested that without Eastwood in the leading role that this film would be lacking. I agree. As the NYR article says, Eastwood is "a canny manipulator of his own iconographic presence". With Eastwood comes every vigilante role he has ever played. When Walt Kowalski calls the cleric "padre" it reminds us of Eastwood the outlaw and every "Western" role he has ever played.
Eastwood knows this. As Executive Producer I think he knows it is a role that only he can play. Eastwood is reported as saying that this is his final acting role.
The tension in the final part of the film is perfectly played as the story builds to its surprising conclusion.
I love the cinematography. There's a certain look to the film that captures the tired neighbourhood and Walt's tired life. The final shot (end credits) is the lightest in the film, obviously deliberately so.
On a lighter note, I love the performance of the dog!
Related links:
http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/movies/12tori.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Torino
