Tag Archives: clint-eastwood

Gran Torino (DVD)

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I love Clint Eastwood movies. I may not have watched all of them yet, but I’m sure that I will some time soon get the chance to. His selection of screenplays seems very careful and very insightful. His movies usually start off lukewarm without any foretelling of what’s about to ensue. And although some of my friends find it difficult to stick to the storyline until it reaches its climax, I think it’s rather testy of my patience making it all the more entertaining. Gran Torino surprised me several times and is a movie that I think serves more than one purpose.

Written by David Johannson & Nick Schenk, the story starts off with a couple of sons who mock their grumpy father, Walt Kowalski, at their mother’s funeral. And as you continue watching, you get some sort of understanding as to why they mocked him and why he’s such a grouch.

Apparently, Kowalski’s Korean war experience fed his prejudice about Hispanics, Blacks, and especially Asians. Unfortunately for him, he was probably one of the last few white people left in his neighborhood, which over the years grew to be occupied by several Hmong immigrants–whom he otherwise referred to as “Gooks.”

A twist of events somehow transforms Kowalski’s mentality and brings him to befriend his next-door neighbors, Thao (Bee Vang) and Sue (Ahney Her), who happen to be Hmong. The friendship somehow grows into a kinship that leads the characters to paths of unexpected changes.

A must-see for those who dig a little deeper and are interested in what’s going on beyond your front door, this movie is quite touching and intriguing.

Changeling (DVD)

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There are movies you walk away from with images that echo in your consciousness forever. These movies don’t come by too often, but I can honestly say that I feel this way about every movie directed by Clint Eastwood. Changeling is no different, in fact the imagery and lingering emotions from watching the film will replay themselves in my mind for some time to come. There is a lot to digest in this movie and I feel it is arguably Eastwood’s most complex work to date, which is no easy task considering his directing resume.  Add in the fact that this is based on a true story and it boggles the mind that such an unbelievable tale actually happened.

Changeling is the story of single mother Christine Collins (an amazing Angelina Jolie) whose son Walter goes missing for five months before he is found and returned to her by the LAPD.  All is not as it seems, as she immediately realizes the boy they returned is not actually her son. She is forced to go along with it by overbearing police Captain Jones.  She soon comes to realize that the strange boy is part of a cover up plot with far deeper implications than a simple missing child case.

Changeling is an excellent title for this film, as it describes the entire movie perfectly. The emotional focus changes throughout the course of the movie, taking the viewer on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout.

It is not until around the third act of the film that it transcends being a simple missing child story and becomes an amazing piece of cinema guaranteed not to be forgotten.  Eastwood’s direction is impeccably paced gradually ramping up the intensity towards the climax of the movie and never fully letting go of the tension.

The success and believability of this movie is almost solely placed on the shoulders of Angelina Jolie. And like Kobe in the fourth, she handles the pressure effortlessly and more than delivers. Her performance is more than Oscar worthy. Despite all of the paparazzi surrounding Jolie in her private life, her performance is so convincing that one can simply view her as Christine Collins and not some megastar actor. Her performance is so good that it transcends her personal image to create a wholly believable and convincing mother who wants nothing more than to get her true missing son back.  Physical attractiveness aside, the sincerity of her performance grabs your attention from the first frame.

The supporting cast is also impressive. John Malkovich plays Reverend Gustab, who is solely dedicated to helping Christine uncover the truth while pursuing his own agenda of exposing corruption within the LAPD.  Jeffrey Donovan is also great as the despicable Capt. Jones and does an excellent job of eliciting feelings of disgust for his character. The rest of the cast is equally good, yet I hesitate to discuss them as they may give away spoilers to an excellent plot that everyone deserves to uncover on their own. 

The bottom line is that Changeling is an excellent piece of cinema that ultimately provokes just as many questions as it answers.  Anyone looking to watch an amazingly written, craftfully directed and beautifully acted masterpiece would do well to check this movie out.

Grand Torino (Theaters)

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I have always been a big fan of Clint Eastwood. Not only for his iconic movie characters, but more for his directing ability. He has a distinct way of directing which is refreshingly simple and straightforward.  Rather than rely too much on special camera angles or swooping panoramic 360 views, Eastwood chooses to focus on the actors and let their emotions and actions dictate what is conveyed to the audience. 

Grand Torino is the story of Korean war veteran Walt Kowalski who has recently lost his wife.  Not only is Kowalski a bit of an outcast from the world around him, which has since changed and evolved since he’s been living in the neighborhood, he is also alienated from his own sons and their families. It doesn’t help matters that Kowalski is also a racist. To clarify, he is not a racist to the extent that he has malicious intentions towards other races, rather he believes stereotypes, both positive and negative, to be true and thus he treats other people and lives his life accordingly.

Kowalski’s neighbors are a Hmong family, whose two teenagers have become the targets of a local Hmong gang.  When his neighbors are attacked, Eastwood inadvertently saves them from the gang while protecting his own house.  As a result, the Hmong neighbors are grateful and begin to view him as a hero. While he initially spurns their friendship, Walt eventually breaks down and accepts them.  Ironically, he eventually becomes closer to them than he could ever get with his own “biological” family. On the surface it sounds like your typical “grumpy old guy hates everyone then has a change of heart” storyline.

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