Monday, August 24, 2009

Movie Monday!


Gran Torino
2008 American drama film

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Christopher Carley, Doua Moua, John Carroll Lynch, Brian Haley, Brian Howe, Choua Kuo, Geraldine Hughes, Dreama Walker.

Producer and Director: Clint Eastwood

116 minute
Music: Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens

Language: English, Hmong {subtitled}
Screenplay: Nick Schenk; Story: Dave Johannson, Nick Schenk
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Walt Kowalski, a recent widower, is an elderly, polish man.and Korean War veteran living in Highland Park, Michigan with his adorable golden retriever, Daisy. Walt is a cantankerous and grumpy, but ultimately lovable, curmudgeon who has an awkward relationship with his two grown sons. Over the years, Walt's neighborhood has changed from working-class white families to Asian immigrants. A Hmong family he is not friendly with, lives next door to Walt. Sue, the daughter of this family, decides to befriend Walt. Soon racial tensions, gang warfare and other pressures fall at Walt's doorstep alternately enriching and threatening his way of thinking and his life.

Figuring prominently in the movie, almost a character in its own right, is Walt's most precious possession (next to Daisy, of course!), a 1972 Ford Gran Torino, lovingly maintained and cared for by Walt since he first worked on it at his job as a Ford factory worker.


I thought this was a fantastic movie. The acting, particularly Eastwood's, was superb. It's amazing that at 78 he is still going so strong. He embodied his character completely. It was pretty amazing! The story is very interesting and addresses issues quite current in today's society, especially with the economic problems in our country, and well-rounded. It's about relationships, friendship, hate, anger, fear, life and death, apathy, the generation gap, cultural identity and ignorance. This movie has humor, pathos, drama, tension, compassion, understanding, anger and fear . I highly recommend it!


Clint Eastwood won a Best Actor from the National Board of Review
American Film Institute's One of the Ten best films of 2008
Clint Eastwood is nominated for the Broadcast Film Critics Assoc. (Critics' Choice Awards)
He is nominated for Best Actor by the Washinton D.C. Area Film Critics Assoc.

12 comments:

  1. I loved this movie. It was so much more than I expected. Clint Eastwood was wonderful and the relationship that developed with the neighbors was so funny at times but so realistic. He never lost his edge! Great pick!

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  2. Thanks for the great movie tip! I hope I can find it "on demand" through my cable tv. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. :)

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  3. I love Eastwood, but haven't seen this one yet. Let's face it...the guy doesn't make a bad movie. It is in the Q!

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  4. Thanks so much for the tip! Will watch out for this movie since I admire Clint's acting and the storyline is so strong and timely!

    Hope you're having a great Monday!

    xxLola:)

    PS Thanks for stopping by. So glad you enjoy the fun - I plan to do a fashion spot each Monday! I enjoy fashion too but have to laugh at its eccentricities! The headgear, the diaper, the Snuggie & the tweed coat! Ah, what goes around comes around I suppose!

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  5. I absolutely loved this movie! Clint Eastwood was great!

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  6. I've wanted to see this since it came out. Clint is one of my inspirations as a Film Director. He works hard, does what he wants and constantly tries to find the truth in work.

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  7. I haven't seen this one, but my husband and son said it was great! I need to rent a copy and check it out.

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  8. I haven't seen it yet, but my son loved it. He's been urging us to rent it ever since. It sounds like a great movie, and I'm curious to see the scenery because we used to live in Detroit.

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  9. I agree, this was a great movie.

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  10. I totally agree, this movie was great! x

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  11. I never made it to see this movie...I heard it was monumentally depressing so stayed away. But you've convinced me to give it a go...

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