Gran Torino

"Gran Torino" is an R-rated after-school special. It's much more interested in teaching its characters lessons than in storytelling.

Clint Eastwood stars as Walt Kowalski, but he's really more of a caricature than a character here. In case you ever forget that Kowalski is old as dirt, Eastwood grimaces, groans and delivers lines about how Young People Today Have No Respect in about three-quarters of the scenes.

Kowalski is a lonely widower living in suburban Michigan. His life takes a turn when he befriends the family next door to him. This friendship is unlikely, to say the least, because the family is of the Hmong ethnicity, while Kowalski is racist enough to fit in at a Klan meeting.

He seems to have a particular contempt for Asians, perhaps because of his service in the Korean War. Even when visiting his neighbors' house, he tosses around the word "gook" as often as Tony Montana drops F-bombs. It seems improbable that Kowalski could overcome his racism to see that his neighbors are better people than his own children. It's downright absurd that the family would put up with his open ignorance and contempt ("I thought Asian girls were supposed to be smart").

Kowalski forms a particularly close bond with Thao, a teenage boy. Thao's father has died and he clearly needs guidance. He looks to Kowalski to provide it, even though the old man accuses him of being a "pussy" enough times in one monologue to set some sort of Hollywood record.

Thao and his family are harassed by a gang, which leads to a confrontation between Kowalski and the young punks. The ending is telegraphed from a mile away.

Not surprisingly, a movie this preachy features some ham-handed dialogue, particularly between Kowalski and a priest ("I've been thinking about our conversation about life and death"). Eastwood directs, and as usual, he is competent. He deserves credit for making the gang scenes passable, considering he's working with actors sixty years his junior.

In a recent interview, Eastwood was asked who he makes movies for now. He pointed to himself. That sums up "Gran Torino" pretty well. It's an opportunity for Eastwood to berate young whippersnappers, show he's racially enlightened and play a martyr.