If this is the masters’ coda, then he went out with a classic with Grand Torino.
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For the last few years, I have really enjoyed Clint Eastwood’s films. His style lately has reminded me a lot of my favorite Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa. The hidden secrets, the pain of sin that he cannot forgive himself for and the struggle for life and death are features in both of their films and are the main points for Eastwood’s new film “Grand Torino”
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When the film opens, we are being show a man, disgruntled Korean War vet, Walt Kowalski. We are shown that his wife has died and that he cannot deal with his family or his grand-children. After the funeral, we are introduced to the other main character in this film, a young Hmong teenager, named Thao Vang Lor. What we see is a boy who is lost and is trying to figure out how to become a man.
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Walt, for some unknown reason, takes a shine to this boy and tries to teach him how to become a man. I will leave this part of the film unspoiled Let me just say that this plot were some of the funniest parts of this film.
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What I also liked about the film was the voice of reason, Walt’s Preacher, Father Janovich. Walt’s calls him a “27 year old virgin, who think that seminary school has taught him about life and death.” When you see him also start to learn from Walt, it’s another small piece of a film that takes it from a good film and turns it into a great one.
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But with every film hero we are also introduced to a film villain. In this one it is his cousin, Who, as part of Thao’s initiation into his gang, makes Thao steal Walt’s prize possession, a 1972 Gran Torino. When the attempt fails Thao, has to work for Walt for a few days. It is here that you can slowly see Thao start to respond to “tough love” that all master deal out to their students. What I liked here was that the master did not want to be one and the student had no clue that he was even a student. It should not have worked but, by the grace of Eastwoods’ directing and acting, its well shown and very believable.
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The above scenes might be a problem for some of today’s modern audience. They have grown accustomed to a much faster pace of film, a higher body count and people who call themselves actors, who truly are not. If they are looking for this in this film, then the modern audience will walk away very upset and then they will have failed to truly see this film.
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The film ending was quite a surprise that I will not spoil for you. I was thinking one thing and then he goes and does something that I could not believe that he did it and that he pulled it off on the screen.
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When the film\’92s final credit were rolling, I was sad. I was thinking, “If this is Clint Eastwood’s coda, then we have been taken on a pleasant journey in this film. Please see this film when it hopefully arrives in a Korean theater in March 2009.
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Grade A+
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Father Janovich: Why didn’t you call the police?
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Walt Kowalski: Well you know, I prayed for them to come but nobody answered
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Opens in Korea on 19 March 2009
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