Hi. I need to know. Am I the only person who thought 'Grand Torino' blew?

[devilgrrl]

It's playing on HBO this month. Most people I know thought it was good, a few felt otherwise but I figured that I should see it myself. So I did.... and thought it wasn't all that. I didn't hate the movie as much I should have but I knew what would happen next because it was THAT predictable and ended up changing the channel. What a let-down. I like Clint Eastwood but I am so not into the movies he directs.

Does anyone else feel that way too?

[Oceansaway]

1. i liked it except the ending...nt

[muffin1]

4. I liked the ending. Not that it was a HAPPY ending, but

he finally did the right thing in thinking about the people he had come to care about. I never thought I would make it to the end, though. The racist language that his character spewed really made me sick. I KNOW racists talk like that, but it was hard to listen to.

[S n o w b a l l]

8. You know, you're right...

The ending was sad, but it was the only way the hoodlums would get their due so I take that back...the ending didn't really suck. :)

[alphafemale]

16. Even though he talked like that he wasn't really racist - possible SPOILER

You see evidence of this even early in the movie when he barks at the kid because he asks to borrow jumper cables, but a few scenes later you see him helping to "jump" the car.

I loved the scene at the reading of the will. Especially where that spoiled little brat thought for sure she was getting grandad's car. NOPE! :rofl:

[rug]

2. It's Gran Torino, little missy.

[S n o w b a l l]

3. I really liked it....but yes, the ending did suck. n/t

[muffin1]

5. I liked it.

Did you enjoy 'Unforgiven'? Another good film that he directed is 'Play Misty for Me'. I think it was made in the 70's - it stars Eastwood, Jessica Walter and Donna Mills (of all people).

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Clint Eastwood sucks.

Everybody knows it but nobody says anything.

[edbermac]

7. It's a Clint Eastwood movie!

He's entertaining but we're not talking Shakespeare here.

[proteus_lives]

19. Have you seen Unforgiven?

Eastwood directed and starred in that movie. Perhaps one of the finest westerns of all time.

[elocs]

9. My city has a sizable Hmong community, so I found that interesting.

Plus, Eastman is one of those actors that I can count on liking most of his films.

Know what was going to happen? Hell, the last movie I didn't know was probably the Sixth Sense. I can remember the kids always being puzzled how we adults knew what was going to happen in a movie we had never seen. Pretty simple, actually.

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. I Really Liked It.

To each their own. I didn't like Avatar. Found it quite pretty and quite empty, going through the motions in a technically superb manner.

[graywarrior]

11. I did not like it.

[Orrex]

12. I couldn't believe how bad at least 2/3 of it was.

The dialogue was laughably bad for most of the film, and Eastwood's "cranky old bigoted vet" character was monstrously poorly written.

I enjoyed the ending because it was a nice reversal of how Eastwood's characters usually end things, but on the whole the film wasn't that great.

[REP]

13. It was poorly written and tried too hard

When the writer feels the need to contrive a scene simply to have a character state what should be obvious from the actions and dialog, yeah, the writing isn't too great. It telegraphed a lot of its punches and was too contrived.

[azmouse]

14. It is boring and predictable.

If this is the best Eastwood can do now it's time for him to hang it up.

[hayu_lol]

15. I thought it was a good movie...

the portrayal of the bigot and the immigrants actually rings true in neighborhoods across the country. Things happen for the best when people are finally able to talk to each other and interact.

Movies are movies. They seldom touch the real world. Entertainment folks...thats all it is.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

17. it was formulaic.

I gave it a C- and only one :popcorn:

[proteus_lives]

18. Disagree,

I thought it was great.

Eastwood is a helluva actor/director.

[MajorChode]

20. I thought the Thao character was horrible

His acting really sucked and it detracted from an otherwise good movie.

[RiffRandell]

21. I loved it. n/t

[quakerboy]

22. What, you don't buy Eastwood as

Jesus?

[murielm99]

23. I loved it.

The character did not get a chance to raise his son the way he wanted, and to value the things he valued, because the world had changed. He was frustrated by that, as many older people are. He got a second chance with his neighbor. He could show him how to use tools, how to behave like a guy, and how to hold his own in the world.

At the end of the story, he was able to purge some of his demons and make some choices that that completed things for himself in a meaningful way.

[amyrose2712]

24. Nope. Borefest.

[mitchum]

25. I agree with you about Eastwood's work as a director...

for the most part, he makes what I call "handsome productions"
They try so hard to be classy, significant, and heavy. The end result is always a movie with all of the rough edges removed.
Boring, predictable, but oh so respectable.

I love him as an actor/screen presence, though.

[Dr Morbius]

26. You know, I figured it would, so I passed on it. No regrets. (nt)

[nolabear]

27. I liked it a lot! But did anyone else think of Lyle Lovett's "Pontiac"?

I couldn't get it out of my mind.