Neal Vitale Reviews: Gran Torino

4 stars out of 5

Gran Torino, directed by 78-year-old Clint Eastwood, is also his first acting role since 2004's Million Dollar Baby. He plays Walt Kowalski - crusty Korean war veteran, recent widow, and retired auto worker - living in suburban Detroit in a neighborhood that has become dominated by immigrant Hmong. The storyline for much of the film moves in expected fashion, as Walt grouses about the changing world, mutters invective at anyone who crosses him, and generally wallows in his own bitterness with a cooler full of Pabsts. Many of Gran Torino's characters are more stereotypically sketched than fully-developed. But the plot eventually evolves and becomes more complicated, with intriguing overlays of sacrifice, atonement, and redemption. Add a classic Eastwood performance - all scowls, squints, and more than a few moments channeling Harry Callahan - and the result is an engaging, moving Gran Torino.