Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is an ex-Korean War Veteran. After his wife's death his family attempt to put him in a elderly retirement home, Walt refuses to leave his home despite the new arrivals of Hmong families in his neighbourhood. His prejudice towards his new neighbours reaches boiling point when next-door neighbour Thao (Bee Vang) tries to steal his 1972 Gran Torino car as part of a gang initiation. Confronted by Walt he is forced to regain the family's honor by working for him as a way of apology, it is during their time together that they put differences aside and become friends. Meanwhile, a nearby gang begin to harass Thao and his family by getting him to join their group, Walt steps in and protects the family until things get out of hand where he himself becomes a target for the gang leading to and inevitable bloody climax.
Gran Torino is quite simply an outstanding piece of film making. Clint Eastwood (in what is supposedly his last acting role) is superb, leaving the question, 'why did the oscars not pick up on it?' In many ways Clint goes out all guns blazing, and with a clever story he gets the best out of his unkown support cast, it seems as though the older he gets the more watchable both he and his films become.
The film explores many racial tensions that are still going on in America today, some people have taken offence to these issues but I feel that Gran Torino attempts to tackle these racial problems instead of exploit them. Afterall, there's no doubt that seeing Clint Eastwood making over-the-top racial remarks won't raise some sort of smile.
An amazing film, one that must be seen.
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