Movie Review - “Gran Torino”

REVIEW: 78-year-old Clint Eastwood both directed and stars in this intimate drama that confronts racism. We thought his performance was one of his best works as an actor in years, a return to all of the things that made him great as a younger man. He’s brilliant and imposing, shocking and so over the top he’s often funny. Unfortunately the rest of the movie’s cast isn’t quite up to the task of going toe to toe with him. It’s Eastwood that makes Gran Torino so compelling. Gran Torino is a movie you must see. We give it [4-Stars]

SYNOPSIS: This is a story about a crusty, inflexible Korean War veteran named Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), who must confront his Hmong immigrant neighbors – and his own long-held prejudices. Walt has just lost his wife and his children want him to move out of the old neighborhood and move into a senior citizens' home. Walt doesn't want to move even though more Asian people live in his Detroit neighborhood than Americans. Walt has a problem with Asians ever since he fought them in the Korean War. This prejudice explodes when Thao, the teenage son of the Hmong family next door, tries to steal his mint condition 1972 Grand Torino car. Thao (played by Bee Vang) was pressured by an Asian gang to steal the car as an initiation rite. To regain the family's honor, Thao is forced to work for Walt. Walt begins to protect Thao from the gangs and soon he becomes a target.