NMR: Gran Torino

Technically this is not a Netflix review because I got impatient waiting for my copy of this through them and just decided to watch it On Demand through Time Warner since I had a coupon for a free film. That aside, I ended really enjoying this film, more than I actually thought I would. In what many believe may be his final acting performance, Clint Eastwood does a phenomenal job as Walt Kowalski, a retired veteran who's just lost his wife and hates how his neighborhood is being overtaken by immigrants. Even though Walt isn't a real likable character, I immediately related to him and his annoyance with the way the world was changing around him. With the way everything is set up, it becomes obvious where the story is headed, but I didn't mind knowing that because I had become invested in the character. The main critique most had of the film was the poor acting of some of the Hmong neighbors, who were real people and not professionally trained actors. I would agree that it's obvious that they are unpolished, but I personally did not feel it detracted from the film. Even though it did not get a wide release until January, this is technically a 2008 film, which is why you won't see it on my top ten list, even though I thought it was excellent. Had I thought I would have liked it this much, I would have kept my '08 top ten list up longer so that I could have included this. If you haven't seen it yet, I'd say you should definitely rent it, if for no other reason than to see one of the greatest actors of all time show he's still got it, even at 79. Rating: *****