Gran Torino- Clint Eastwood

You found the ending predictable? The predictable Clint ending would be a great kick-*** shootout with a cool catchphrase, not a self-sacrifice.

 

Dirty Harry has to be the ultimate Clint Eastwood movie experience.

 

That's the younger Eastwood ending!

R

 

I have to say that I found the ending completely unpredictable. I was dreading the big shoot-out scene, and thankfully the ending was unexpected and moving. The person I sat next to cried.

Caveat -- I think MDB is a masterpiece of understatement -- Clint's greatest asset as a director, aside from his indisputable screen presence.

I think understatement is underrated.

 

And I can't overstate how overstated "Million Dollar Baby" was - I'm shocked someone would view it as "understated". The villain straight out of "Rocky IV"? The family on loan from "Hee Haw"? The telegraphed points about putting down dogs who can't hunt no more?

I respect the hell out of Eastwood but "MDB" was super-far from being subtle and understated...

 

Another great one by CE.

 

We have disagreed on this one many times. I respect you as a critic, but this one is always going to be a little asterisk for me when I read your reviews.

I watch this movie and see a completely different picture than the one you described.

 

Maybe there are two masterings - you got the subtle, understated one, while I got the TV movie one.

I'll just put this out there: defend the Russian boxer and Maggie's family as understated. Or Maggie herself, either. Or the other boxers. Not saying it can't be done, but I'm curious to hear the rationale!

 

I'll try to watch it again this weekend and get back to you.

I'm producing a record right at the moment and busy around the clock, so don't hold me to a hard and fast schedule on this.

 

Oh, I WILL - I expect a response by Sunday at noon or else I'll regard that as an admission of defeat!

 

I wanted to revive this thread. I'd seen GT when it hit On Demand last year and watched it again last night. It still moved me again- a knowing nod to characters in Eastwood's career and moments of humor, pathos, and redemption. I was moved by it all over again. Clint's greatest legacy just might be his directorial career.

 

Another Clint classic!

 

I thought it was damn good.

Clint is one true badass

 

good movie, hope this is not the last movie we will see Clint in.

 

Yeah we saw it a few weeks ago. Didnt have high expectations but we both really enjoyed it.

Just managed to stay the right side of schmaltzy.

 

I saw it again on DVD, and liked it even better the second time.

 

It is definitely one of those movies that is better the second time around.

 

Just watched it tonight. Good film, typical Clint downbeat ending. Loved it when he saved the girl from those homeys.

 

It's very good -- better than the sum of its parts (I thought some of the language was overdone and not quite natural) -- and especially good when considered alongside other Eastwood movies in which violence is a theme, especially "Unforgiven."

 

Even better on Blu-Ray.

 

I didn't hate "Gran Torino" but I didn't like it very much either. Didn't he grunt like this in "Million Dollar Baby" too? It's been probably a year since I've seen the film but I didn't get the hoopla over it. But I have the same problem with most of his recent films.

I'll always be a big fan of the classic Clint movies from the 60s and 70s, but I can't get into the older, wiser Clint, neither in front of or behind the camera. He's still a huge talent of course, but I find his films to be too serious and preachy. Just not my cuppa.

 

I'm just the opposite. .. the later Clint, mostly starring under his own direction, wow, I like those movies a lot, the earlier ones have no staying power for me. They were fun then, but I never took them seriously and for me they haven't aged well.

Gran Torino, the Iwo Jima duet, Changeling, etc. I just really enjoy and think I will into the future.

 

I love this movie as much as Letters from Iwo Jima. I consider it one of his very best movies. I wasn't a huge fan of Million Dollar Baby but I only saw it once.

 

Sounds like Oatsdad needs to do a Clint Eastwood poll next!

 

Consider it done - but should it be Clint as actor or Clint as director?