With All Engines Revving, Gran Torino Still Fails to Impress

“Oh, I've got one. A Mexican, a Jew, and a colored guy go into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, ‘Get the fuck out of here.’” This makes Clint Eastwood the Best Actor of the Year ? I disagree, Gran Torino could have been a masterpiece, and instead Clint Eastwood carries the entire film while the rest of the cast lets it become another trite racial conflict movie. The buzz surrounding Gran Torino is well grounded with Clint Eastwood directing and starring and the National Board giving Nick Schenk an award for the Best Original Screenplay but even with all engines revving, Gran Torino couldn’t win the race.

Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), a retired Ford automaker and Korean War Veteran, is introduced at his wife’s funeral. After his loss Kowalski spends all his time drinking, smoking and being bitter about his Hmong neighbors instead of dealing with his wife’s death. Later, most of his time is spent dealing with his neighbors, Sue (Ahney Her), Thao (Bee Vang), their mother and grumpy grandmother (who seems to hate Walt just as much as he hates her). The Hmong community has been growing over the years and driving most Americans out of the suburb. As Walt sees his neighborhood ‘crumble’ and neighbors that let their homes fall into disrepair, he maintains his home, lawn and cars, specifically his 1972 Gran Torino in perfect shape. As Thao is increasingly harassed by his cousin to join the Hmong gang, he soon gives in to his initiation task: stealing the Gran Torino. After Kowalski catches Thao in the act, he inadvertently becomes a mentor for Thao and suppor for his family while also making himself a target for gang violence.

The subtleties of Kowalski’s change from a racially prejudiced veteran to a disinclined friend and hero are the highlight of the film. Instead of allowing Kowalski to become a complete cliché and trite character Eastwood maintains Kowalski’s prejudices throughout the film and he simply becomes more inclined to help Thao and Sue through their struggles of resisting gangs and the consequences of that path. His relationship with Thao and Sue grows stronger as Walt realizes how the bonds with his family have completely failed him. Saying that he has, “more in common with these stupid gooks than my own family.” Walt stays true to his time tested prejudices but also, as Sue points out, “becomes a good man.”

Sue’s character has potential but her timing throughout the entire movie is off and her lines feel forced and fake. Thao (Bee Vang) is slightly better and has some laugh out loud moments. Father Janovich (Christopher Carley), the priest that Walt’s wife visited in her last months, lacked any real dimension as a character and Carley did little to change that. Apart from the poor acting, Eastwood does a beautiful job of directing. Each scene is clean, simple and has a purpose. Eastwood does not force much and uses certain subtleties to carry the movie. Ultimately, Torino isn’t a film one will be disappointed with but it isn’t a life changing film nor is it a film that is worthy of many accolades. Clint Eastwood may be the only part of the film that truly earned his award.