I must admit that together with Wes Anderson and a couple more of directors, the old “Dirty Harry” has always been one of my favorite American directors and actors.
What you are going to find here in Gran Torino is essentially a production 100% Clint Eastwood, reminding me of his great masterpiece Unforgiven. He is once more superb in his role of bitter war veteran with a dark past, and in both movies, although the later was a western and this is located in an American suburb invaded by immigrants, have many points in common, as for example the feeling of revenge after the abuse of a woman by a gang.
I know that many spectators would have enjoyed more another final with Eastwood applying his own justice, but the end of Gran Torino is even more amazing as an act of redemption. All along the movie, the great topics are touched: life and death, but between those two, there are many layers to discover in this incredible and prodigious onion; greediness and lack of communication with the sons, racism, religion, redemption, friendship, integration… Eastwood is able to create a cocktail with all this without losing the essence of his cinema, and obviously, in the end, the final is bittersweet, same than life itself.
If you like Eastwood´s movies and you still have not seen Gran Torino, run for it! Another great masterpiece to add to his collection of great titles like Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven… Mr Eastwood, like the good wines, knows how to taste better and better with the pass of time.
Rating 5/5
{mosimage}The best: The final with Eastwood staring at the house of the criminal gang
The worst: that we are not going to have the chance to see Eastwood in front of the camera much more.
The detail: the same Gran Torino car that appears in the movie was used in the 70s series Starsky & Hutch.