GRAN TORINO

RYAN: Clint Eastwood’s second film of 2008, “Gran Torino,” is now in theaters in wide release and it’s a tour de force. Clint directed, starred in and scored the film, and even sings while the credits start to roll.

CAROLINE: I could have done without that few seconds of singing.

RYAN: Let’s hope it’s not his swan song.

CAROLINE: He should have left the whole song to Jamie Cullum, who did a fabulous job. But all in all, this is one of my favorite films of 2008.

RYAN: It’s definitely one of the best of 2008. It’s intense, funny, well made and it just has that great scope of a good movie.

CAROLINE: It made me cry and it made me laugh. Clint’s character is such an over-the-top racist that it’s actually funny. I’d never even heard some of the racial epithets he uses before. He did an amazing job in all his capacities in this film, though I did get a little annoyed at how often he growled in the movie. I was like, “OK, we get it – you’re a curmudgeon.”

RYAN: I know, but that’s the point of his character – he’s a growler. It made me laugh every time he did it. I did feel like I needed an interpreter or sub-titles for some of his lines in this film though. I couldn’t always understand what he was saying. But I saw Clint do an interview recently and he spoke normally, so I guess that was just the voice he chose to use for this character. This is easily one of the best screenplays of the year. It’s so brilliantly written.

CAROLINE: I loved the story. It’s kind of a risky one since it’s hard to have empathy for a bigoted lead character. But you do in this movie. The relationship that Clint establishes with his Asian neighbors is so heartwarming. It’s a slow movie that builds gradually and with every passing moment, I found myself caring more and more about the characters.

RYAN: I think a lot of that is due to Clint’s direction. Between this movie, “Changeling” and “Million Dollar Baby,” he’s got to be one of our best directors ever. As for the racism in the movie, it made me laugh at times because it’s so over-the-top, but it also makes you see that the root of bigotry is misunderstanding. Once Clint’s character has experience and interaction with his neighbors, he’s able to overcome his issues.

CAROLINE: When I first heard about this movie a few months ago, I remember thinking, “Clint Eastwood always makes good movies so I guess I’ll see this one even though I have no clue what Gran Torino is and I probably won’t care about it.” But I never dreamed I would love this movie as much as I did. I loved the lead girl who plays his neighbor, Ahney Her; this is her film debut. The guy who played her brother wasn’t quite as good an actor, but I still loved his relationship with Clint. The way the movie turned out, without ruining it, is very moving and very unexpected. Devastating even. I didn’t see it coming at all, so it had a major effect on me.

RYAN: I always think of my dad when I see Clint Eastwood because my dad’s a major fan of his, and even looks like him a little. I think this is a good movie to illustrate to our generation how great Clint is. There’s a younger supporting cast which makes it more relateable to people our age too. I loved everyone in the movie, though yes, the Asian brother was a bit of a weak link. All the neighborhood tough guys were great though; it was very well cast.

— BOTTOM LINE —

CAROLINE: I loved this movie; it’s easily in my top five for 2008. I just can’t believe what an amazing talent Clint Eastwood is. He knocks my socks off every time. Please see this movie!

RYAN: As he gets older, we can’t help but wonder how many brilliant, poignant, inspiring movies he has left in him; but if this year is any indication, he’s still capable of making amazing movies and I hope he keeps on keepin’ on.

CAROLINE: He’s threatening to quit acting… but I feel like every older actor says that.

RYAN: He can quit acting. Just please don’t stop directing.

— RATING —