Film reviews
Men In Black 3
It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.
Bel Ami
The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.
The Dictator
A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.
The Woman In Black
Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.
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Gran Torino (Film)
Rating: M
Running Time: 116
Country: U.S.A.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Christopher Carley, Clint Eastwood, Brian Haley, Ahney Her, Bee Vang
Distributor: Roadshow
Release Date: January 22, 2009
Film Worth: $14.50
FILMINK rates movies out of $20 - the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth“…deeply affecting and unforgettable…”
With the likes of the brilliant Mystic River, Letters From Iwo Jima and Changeling, Clint Eastwood has proven himself to be amongst the finest directors currently working. With his new film - the sombre but punchy Gran Torino - Eastwood also proves that he's still got it as a leading man, not only giving one of his best performances yet, but also driving the film to a surprisingly hefty box office haul in the US.
Eastwood is Walt Kowalski, an embittered Korean War vet living on his own in a once-white neighbourhood which has slowly changed into a cultural melting pot. For the racist Walt (taken to casually dropping terms like "gook" and "zipper-head"), it's a tough bullet to bite, and when combined with his icy relationship with his two adult sons, it makes him a lonely and unhappy man. Walt's life lightens a little, however, when he befriends two young Asian kids (Bee Vang and Ahney Her) who move in next door with their extended family. This unlikely relationship softens Eastwood's tough old dog, but when an Asian street gang starts harassing the family, he proves that he's still got nerves of steel.
While there are admittedly a few false notes in Gran Torino (newcomer Bee Vang struggles a little in his more emotional scenes; there are moments of melodrama and implausibility), this is another sterling effort from Eastwood. The film is moody and moving, but is nicely cut through with well-pitched moments of humour that constantly keep things off balance. Newcomer Ahney Her is exceptional as the spunky young girl who takes a surprising shine to the grizzled Walt, and screenwriter Nick Schenk has a canny knack for inventive racial slurs that shock and amuse with their political incorrectness.
This is, however, Clint Eastwood's movie. It's an absolute joy to watch the mellowing of the steely Walt, and Eastwood commits just as much to his initial nastiness ("Get off my lawn" is set to become a trademark Eastwood catchphrase) as he does to his ultimate heroism and warmth. Walt Kowalski is another fine addition to Eastwood's already immeasurable collection of indelible screen characters (he's almost an older, angrier version of hardcase Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway from 1986's Heartbreak Ridge), and Gran Torino is another deeply affecting and unforgettable film from a true American master.
