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Gran Torino (2008)

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Edgy MD May 08 2009 02:53 PM

Clint Eastwood plays a grumpy old veteran, chasing immigrant neighbors off his lawn and away from his prized 1972 Gran Torino, until a lack of beer and other circumstances conspire to bring their lives together.

sharpie May 09 2009 05:55 AM

Saw it in the theaters in February. Clint was chewing the scenery all over the place. Despite all of the hokey stuff and overacting I kind of liked it.

Nymr83 May 10 2009 12:09 AM

Eastwood made an "eh" script watchable

Edgy MD May 11 2009 08:30 AM Edited 3 time(s), most recently on May 11 2009 03:12 PM

The funny thing is how many of the scenes in this film you may have seen in other Clint Eastwood films. Old Clint tinkering around his garage? Space Cowboys. Clint staring down punks? Dirty Harry. Clint walking masoquistically and coolly into a showdown even though he's hopelessly outgunned? Pick a western. The Outlaw Josey Wales, for instance. Clint walking masocquistically and coolly into a showdown even though he's hopelessly too old? Unforgiven, baby. Clint having a big enough pair of balls to spit in God's face? True Crime. Clint ominously coughing shit up? Honky Tonk Man. Clint abusing an ethnic minority while begrudgingly growing in affection for them? The Dirty Harry films again. Clint being disgusted by the younger generations? Where do you start? He even tinkles the piano and croaks out a melody at the end. Whatever, but somehow he tinkers around his cinematic garage and puts the familiar pieces together and makes a vehicle thats new enough to be compelling, and tells a very American story that's subtley almost as much about our shame and glory as a country as it is about Walt's success and failure as a person.

Farmer Ted May 11 2009 03:05 PM

Zero nominations from the Academy. Unreal.

Frayed Knot Aug 14 2009 01:26 PM

"The funny thing is how many of the scenes in this film you may have seen in other Clint Eastwood films" Clint estranged and/or distanced from his adult children? Absolute Power, Million Dollar Baby I liked the little co-written by Clint theme ditty at the end.

Edgy MD Aug 14 2009 01:34 PM

Sounded for all the world like a Tom Waits composition, and I was a little surprised it wasn't.

Fman99 Aug 14 2009 01:47 PM

Edgy DC wrote: The funny thing is how many of the scenes in this film you may have seen in other Clint Eastwood films. Clint ominously coughing shit up? Honky Tonk Man. Funny, I went right to In the Line of Fire on that one. But you're right, for every movie you list above you could swap out another one.

metirish Mar 27 2010 08:43 PM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

Just saw this on HBO. Very watchable .Edgy sums it all up nicely .

Vic Sage Apr 07 2010 02:43 PM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

surprisingly moving despite being formulaic. Of course, he created the formula.

Elster88 Apr 07 2010 07:48 PM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

One of the secretly exciting things about this forum is opening a movie forum post from Vic Sage.

Edgy MD Apr 08 2010 05:44 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

I think about this movie all the time. My wife was sickened by it --- she can't stand any film with a rape in it. There are certainly noticeable gaps in the script. But Eastwood says things with the actors and the camera that the script cannot. What did you think of the priest? He seemed kind of ham-handed to me. Maybe he was hired for his face and not his performance skills. On the other hand, you can read any awkwardness in his delviery as an expression of his struggling un-genuineness as a person.

metirish Apr 08 2010 06:54 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

At first I thought the priest was just another way of showing how much of a horrible person Eastwood's character was , and I don't think he amounted to much more than that.

themetfairy Apr 08 2010 07:48 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

I thought the priest's character was to demonstrate that nice, well-meaning people who toed the line were powerless to rectify the situation.

Edgy MD Apr 08 2010 08:01 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

I just thought he wasn't much of an actor. I like how he just walks right up during funerals and starts homilizing. Cut through all that liturigical mumbojumbo. Who does that?

metirish Apr 08 2010 08:36 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

Yeah Edgy , that and just waltzing up to someone at his house or in the bar with his buddies and confronting him, maybe 50 years ago priests did that but not now. He reminded me of Mickey Rooney in those old movies, the way he looked.

Vic Sage Apr 08 2010 09:15 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

Elster88 wrote: One of the secretly exciting things about this forum is opening a movie forum post from Vic Sage. just for that, i'll start working on a Eastwood filmography.

Frayed Knot Apr 08 2010 12:44 PM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

The priest's part in the flick and his conflict with Walt also sets Clint up for his none-too-subtle, 'why yes, I am a martyr' scene at the end. Certainly the actor was hired - at least in part - for his youthful and non-worldly look. Only other time I've seen him was as an extra in a 'House' episode, he played a dork.

Elster88 Apr 24 2010 07:46 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

Vic Sage wrote: Elster88 wrote: One of the secretly exciting things about this forum is opening a movie forum post from Vic Sage. just for that, i'll start working on a Eastwood filmography. *waiting patiently*

Edgy MD Apr 24 2010 09:40 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

Frayed Knot wrote: Certainly the actor was hired - at least in part - for his youthful and non-worldly look. Only other time I've seen him was as an extra in a 'House' episode, he played a dork. He was a pretty dorky priest.

Ashie62 Apr 25 2010 10:36 AM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

I'm taking the Priest to be irrelevant. Clint Eastwood as protector of the vulnerable at any cost. He does this well, Million Dollar Baby, The Unforgiven, Gran Torino and I'm sure many more. If you think Clint Eastwood can't act watch Million Dollar Baby a few times starting after Swank becomes disabled.

soupcan Apr 26 2010 12:55 PM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

Ashie62 wrote: ...watch Million Dollar Baby a few times starting after Swank becomes disabled. What? Something happens to her!? Thanks. Geez.

Vic Sage Aug 16 2010 04:05 PM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

i finally got around to the EASTWOOD FILMOGRAPHY: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14559

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 16 2011 10:27 PM Re: Gran Torino (2008)

Finally saw this tonight, I was quite moved.