Gran Torino

At first I thought it was a car race movie based on a video game. Wasn't there a car racing game called Gran Torino? I think I must have played it before. I thought that it be more in the league of Fast and Furious. But then Clint Eastwood in a video game movie? I don't think he would sell out that way.

Actually, there was no car chase scene whatsoever. It was straight out drama and 99% dialogue. Not your testosterone flick at all. I guess that must have disappointed 90% of the audience the night we watched. Which were all men.

Even though I yawned every now and then during the movie, there were a lot of good points to say about it. First off, the character development was excellent. You can see how the characters (well, some of them) changed into better version of themselves. And the dialogue was well-written. Something that wouldn't strike you as hokey and contrived. The movie seemed so real and reminded you that America isn't all milk and honey. Many times its about gangs and poverty too. Oops, have I given away too much? Although I haven't really encountered that side of the American nightmare, I can very well imagine that its being played out in every state in the US.

Gran Torino is a good film that much I can say. Maybe not everybody's cup of tea but its excellently done. Just expect to feel heavy and depressed after watching. Just like when you watch a typical Maalala Mo Kaya episode. Only in English and Chinese (or whatever it is that Mongols speak).