Gran Torino

Long time no post. What can I say? It was a hectic week, followed by an overall lazing about weekend. Here's a quick movie review to start your week:

Gran Torino -- Clint Eastwood is the crankiest old man in the neighborhood, and you do not want to hit your ball into his yard, punk.

Monique and I both liked it, but split a bit on how much. She felt it was one of the best movies she has seen in years, while I didn't think it was quite up to the level of Clint's best directorial efforts, but still well worth watching, especially if you live around Detroit. This was one of the first movies filmed here after the movie-industry bill was passed, and it really does benefit from a genuine sense of place.

Both Clint and Bee Vang -- who plays Thao, the Hmong boy next door -- were strong in the lead roles, as was Ahney Her as Thao's sister Sue. I thought the developing mentoring relationship between Clint and Bee Vang's characters worked much better than the gang-violence storyline or some of the supporting characters, who often seemed more like quickly sketched caricatures than genuine characters.

Check it out, especially since this may be Clint's last steely-eyed go-round in front of the camera.

IMDB: Gran Torino.
Netflix: Gran Torino.
Rotten Tomatoes (80%): Gran Torino.