Gran Torino

It’s ultimately difficult to mistake Gran Torino for anything other than a Clint Eastwood film, as the director has infused the proceedings with as exceedingly deliberate a sensibility as one might’ve anticipated – yet there’s little doubt that Eastwood’s riveting performance proves instrumental in capturing (and sustaining) the viewer’s ongoing interest. The filmmaker stars as Walt Kowalski, a retired Korean War vet whose desire to be left alone following his wife’s death is shattered with the arrival of a boisterous Hmong clan next door – as he finds himself slowly-but-surely drawn into a unexpected friendship with the troubled Thao (Bee Vang). Although Nick Schenk’s screenplay contains a veritable bevy of less-than-subtle encounters and sequences, Gran Torino ultimately comes off as an affable endeavor whose old-fashioned, easy-going atmosphere effectively compensates for its lack of surprises. Eastwood’s remarkably grizzled turn ensures that the film is at its best when focused on his character’s exploits, as there’s something undeniably compelling about Walt’s entirely predictable transformation from irascible hermit to helpful neighbor. The end result is an effort that’ll never be confused for one of Eastwood’s better offerings as either an actor or a director, admittedly, yet it inevitably goes without saying that his mere presence here elevates the film on a consistent basis and proves effective in smoothing over its various deficiencies.

*** out of ****