Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
#177
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I found the film borderline unwatchable. The script is ridiculous, the acting is uniformly terrible, and the conclusion of the film is as cliched as anything Eastwood has ever directed.
Gran Torino is a hamfisted morality play devoid of subtlety or believable characterization. It is amateurish in every respect, from its approach to relationships between ethnicities and generations (one of the keys to the film that has been ignored in most reviews) to the production values and acting.
You always go into a film wanting to give it a fair shake, but when a screenplay squanders its audience's good will with a cartoonish scene every five minutes (teenagers texting their friends during their own grandmother's funeral, old men growling for kids to get off their lawn, ridiculously foul-mouthed barbers who keep shotguns next to their razors and combs), the film deserves every last drop of bile it receives.
This film is going to polarize viewers in the same way as Crash and MDB, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it capture several awards in a few months. Don't be fooled--this film is Crash's kissing cousin and another in a long line of preachy, manipulative, and insulting attempts to address the cultural gaps existing in the United States.
Gran Torino is a hamfisted morality play devoid of subtlety or believable characterization. It is amateurish in every respect, from its approach to relationships between ethnicities and generations (one of the keys to the film that has been ignored in most reviews) to the production values and acting.
You always go into a film wanting to give it a fair shake, but when a screenplay squanders its audience's good will with a cartoonish scene every five minutes (teenagers texting their friends during their own grandmother's funeral, old men growling for kids to get off their lawn, ridiculously foul-mouthed barbers who keep shotguns next to their razors and combs), the film deserves every last drop of bile it receives.
This film is going to polarize viewers in the same way as Crash and MDB, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it capture several awards in a few months. Don't be fooled--this film is Crash's kissing cousin and another in a long line of preachy, manipulative, and insulting attempts to address the cultural gaps existing in the United States.
Spoiler:
Last edited by Superboy; 01-04-09 at 07:05 AM.
#178
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As long as people are paying money to come to the games then it doesn't matter if they win or lose.
Sport's fan's who pay money to see a team that suck's are idiot's.
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#181
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I thought this movie was great. Sharp dialogue (sometimes a little bit forced, but forgiveable) and just a powerhouse performance from Clint. Yeah the rest of the actors aren't nearly as good, but it doesn't matter. Entertaining from start to finish. I find all this 'racial' talk in this thread kind of ridiculous, because while that certainly was a backdrop to this movie, I thought it was much more about the Generation Gap thematically than it was about racial issues.
#183
DVD Talk Legend
re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
I found the film borderline unwatchable. The script is ridiculous, the acting is uniformly terrible, and the conclusion of the film is as cliched as anything Eastwood has ever directed.
Gran Torino is a hamfisted morality play devoid of subtlety or believable characterization. It is amateurish in every respect, from its approach to relationships between ethnicities and generations (one of the keys to the film that has been ignored in most reviews) to the production values and acting.
You always go into a film wanting to give it a fair shake, but when a screenplay squanders its audience's good will with a cartoonish scene every five minutes (teenagers texting their friends during their own grandmother's funeral, old men growling for kids to get off their lawn, ridiculously foul-mouthed barbers who keep shotguns next to their razors and combs), the film deserves every last drop of bile it receives.
This film is going to polarize viewers in the same way as Crash and MDB, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it capture several awards in a few months. Don't be fooled--this film is Crash's kissing cousin and another in a long line of preachy, manipulative, and insulting attempts to address the cultural gaps existing in the United States.
Gran Torino is a hamfisted morality play devoid of subtlety or believable characterization. It is amateurish in every respect, from its approach to relationships between ethnicities and generations (one of the keys to the film that has been ignored in most reviews) to the production values and acting.
You always go into a film wanting to give it a fair shake, but when a screenplay squanders its audience's good will with a cartoonish scene every five minutes (teenagers texting their friends during their own grandmother's funeral, old men growling for kids to get off their lawn, ridiculously foul-mouthed barbers who keep shotguns next to their razors and combs), the film deserves every last drop of bile it receives.
This film is going to polarize viewers in the same way as Crash and MDB, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it capture several awards in a few months. Don't be fooled--this film is Crash's kissing cousin and another in a long line of preachy, manipulative, and insulting attempts to address the cultural gaps existing in the United States.
#185
DVD Talk Legend
re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
Excellent movie.
#189
DVD Talk Limited Edition
re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
I thought this movie was great. Sharp dialogue (sometimes a little bit forced, but forgiveable) and just a powerhouse performance from Clint. Yeah the rest of the actors aren't nearly as good, but it doesn't matter. Entertaining from start to finish. I find all this 'racial' talk in this thread kind of ridiculous, because while that certainly was a backdrop to this movie, I thought it was much more about the Generation Gap thematically than it was about racial issues.
Spoiler:
#190
DVD Talk Legend
re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
Me, Dad, and a friend are seeing it tonight, now that its finally gone wide. Cant wait!
#191
DVD Talk Legend
re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
Good movie, but really shouldn't be considered seriously by the Academy for any major awards (although if they want to nominate the "Grand Torino" song just in the hope Eastwood will sing it at the show, I'd be for that).
Then again, Benajmin Button isn't much better than Grand Torino, so if it deserves all the Oscar Buzz, I have no problems with Clint getting a few noms thrown his way.
Then again, Benajmin Button isn't much better than Grand Torino, so if it deserves all the Oscar Buzz, I have no problems with Clint getting a few noms thrown his way.
#192
DVD Talk Legend
re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
Just got back. Loved it, one of the best movies i've seen. The audience was a good mix of young and old, laughed at most of the slurs, and did clap at the end. Great movie.
#193
DVD Talk Limited Edition
re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
I just got back from it tonight, and I think I need to think over the movie some more before I reach a final verdict, but overall I really enjoyed it.
I admit, I laughed my ass off when Clint asks "What are you spooks doing out here?".
I admit, I laughed my ass off when Clint asks "What are you spooks doing out here?".
#194
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re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
I really don't get all the love for this movie.. Other than Eastwood I felt the acting was BEYOND horrible.. To the point it was hard to keep watching bad.. I kept telling myself it had to get better because of all the praise.. Alas, it did not..
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re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
I wonder back then they thought this is Clint's last western and let's over praise it. The same may be the case here with Clint's last tough guy role.
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re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
I don't get all of the praise and love this movie is getting. Clint says jump and you guys say how high. WTF? By the praise this movie is getting you would think Clint shits gold turds. The truth of it is Clint's directing and acting gigs in the last 20 years or so are spotty at best. You get your occasional gems, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, but this, Gran Torino, not one of those gems. Quit gawking and getting all giddy at Eastwood's name on the poster, step back and really look at this movie, and and you will see how disappointing this movie is.
This movie isn't absolute junk by any means, but I was expecting a much, much more. But simply put, it was above average at best. The HORRIFIC acting in this movie is practically unbearable. Can you find any worse actors? The subpar direction. And listening to Clint moan and mumble every god damn second was distracting as hell. The forgetful characters (Sue was the only decent memorable, shining character) the constant bombardment of racial slurs was very distracting as well. The bad writing and dialog. Ugggh. Not at one time did I feel anything for any of these characters, of course you get the cliched movie "shock value" of what happened with Sue, which you could see coming from a mile away. Grossly predictable.
The movie had more distractions than real redeeming qualities to it. There were a few shining moments, but the distractions outweighed them 10 fold.
If the Academy recognizes this movie in any way, shape or form, it will be a joke, this movie does not deserve it. Its an in your face racial drama, with a classic acting icon, I can see the appeal to the average person. And the grossly misleading trailers/ads for this movie makes it look like the next Dirty Harry, which for the average movie goer, well you are in for a surprise.
Not horrible, but very disappointing.
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re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
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re: Gran Torino (2008, Eastwood)
Awwwww, geez. I'm a fan of Clint's. I really am. He's made some great films over the years and I think he's a very good director (Unforgiven is on my top 10 of all time films), but I can't agree with the general consensus about Gran Torino.
I'm in the minority that found it almost unbearable. It was full of caricatures instead of real fleshed out characters. Almost every situation that occured felt forced and hammy. The acting (especially from the Asian characters) was terrible - but they didn't have much to work with considering the dialogue. It felt almost like a student film with the awkward pauses where you can almost see the actor trying to act, to the unbelievable situations the characters find themselves in and their actions. And don't get me started about that priest that keeps popping up everywhere.
Nothing in this movie felt real to me. I didn't care about any of the characters because I couldn't take them seriously. And I swear that the message of the movie was, "You can sling all the racial slurs you want as long as you do it with love". I didn't think the film was terrible, but it was far from great (or even good IMO). And Clint's singing is nothing to write home about either.
I'm in the minority that found it almost unbearable. It was full of caricatures instead of real fleshed out characters. Almost every situation that occured felt forced and hammy. The acting (especially from the Asian characters) was terrible - but they didn't have much to work with considering the dialogue. It felt almost like a student film with the awkward pauses where you can almost see the actor trying to act, to the unbelievable situations the characters find themselves in and their actions. And don't get me started about that priest that keeps popping up everywhere.
Nothing in this movie felt real to me. I didn't care about any of the characters because I couldn't take them seriously. And I swear that the message of the movie was, "You can sling all the racial slurs you want as long as you do it with love". I didn't think the film was terrible, but it was far from great (or even good IMO). And Clint's singing is nothing to write home about either.