| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Drama |
Yesterday I watched approximately 85 percent of this film when it was shown on HBO and while the original reason for it may be due to Clint Eastwood producing, directing but also lending his stellar presence to the film - I also surprised myself by flicking away a few tears in witnessing the movie's ending while chomping on my porkbits and pesto pasta.
I gave a thoughtful pause over my actions later, and I realized that it really had more to do with the hope and loneliness that I felt was expressed if the story was to be sketched out in a barebones version. While I can give a nod also to what others may perceive as a "glossy" overlay of the rugged impact of Clint Eastwood's famous face and gravely tones, the coolness of a Gran Torino car and a not-so-subtle social commentary on the changes to a formerly-white-working class neighborhood in Detroit, in the end I think that it boils down to a simple and oft-declared message that “There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.”
While others may argue that what the protagonist of the story was really just practical and to be expected, I would still stoutly maintain that its not that easy to do.
From wiki:
The story follows Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran who is alienated from his family and angry at the world. Walt's young Hmong neighbor, Thao, tries to steal Walt's prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino on a dare by his cousin for initiation into a gang. Walt develops a relationship with the boy and his family.
Haven't seen this movie but I'm sure it's a far cry from some of the movies we've discussed before. I heard this is very good.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good movie! I'd rate it 5 stars. This is also the first time I've been introduced to such a minority group in America - the Hmong - a persecuted people back in the homeland in Laos (persecuted by ultra nationalists and communist-inspired Pathet Lao. It's very interesting how they were able to preserve most of their customs and traditions in the west.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom watched it too !! ... & we were talking abut it over lunch.
ReplyDeletecome to think of it, maybe it was unfair for me to rate it when I haven't seen it from the very start...but yes, I think this movie is one of those which touches the heart.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I was first saddened by the reality of how senior people in the US are living their lives, while here our extended family version most of the time has the grandpa or grandma live with the family...
then there is also the sad plight about gangs and minority people in the US...
Thanks Chito...for me too, it was the first time for me to hear about the Hmong.
ReplyDeleteI thought at first it was Koreans or a tribe in China when I first started to watch the movie (and I was partially right - the Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China.)
The story is what I really love best. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is probably because I felt it was too "finished" or too "packaged".
Kuya Nel, if you like Clint Eastwood films, and drama...try to catch it on cable :-)
ReplyDeleteThe drama part .... hmmm ... i dont go for !! .... Whats the movie were he said " MAKE MY DAY" ? that I like !! hehehe
ReplyDeleteI would say that even in Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood still had that persona of being able to say "Make my day!" to the contravidas in this movie...no kidding!
ReplyDeleteah..Sudden Impact yata yong movie na yon...(yep, si Dirty Harry)
DIRTY HARRY yon !!
ReplyDeleteDirty Harry was the character, but it wasn't in the "Dirty Harry" movie but the Sudden Impact movie which had Dirty Harry chara...sensible ba? hehehe...
ReplyDeleteI guess the name stuck to my head CatH !
ReplyDeleteI loved this movie. I could relate to Eastwood's character being alienated from his family and although I don't share the sentiment I think there are many Americans that are disturbed when their old neighborhoods change character dramatically. However this is not a new theme and has been done in other TV shows and movies. I like how the character eventually overcomes his racism and eventually bonds with the boy he had zero respect for.
ReplyDeletenaku Kuya Nel...
ReplyDeletedirty-minded ka pala ha....LOL
kidding lang po..I couldnt' resist!
hi Ted, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
ReplyDeletealthough its not a new idea for me - esp if I think of the US (this growing apart from your family) as opposed to the Asian culture and countries, I think it would be natural to be not that comfortable with seeing your neighborhood change, especially if one has practically lived there a loong time.
I wasn't able to view it from the start (only from when the boy was doing chores for him) but hope and loneliness were words which stuck in my mind. Loneliness - because he was widowed and well, its sad to be at that point in your life but have your children grow apart from you. Hope - because of what his neighbors, esp Sue and Thao were able to do for him.
hmmm .... paano mo nalaman ??? hehehe ... no worries Cath.
ReplyDeletep.s. Everyone has his/her Naughty moments, CatH.
Malungkot talaga ito. Hikbi.
ReplyDeletei watched this also, and just like you, tears rolled down towards the end of the movie. ....
ReplyDeletethere's always room for change no matter who or what you are, acceptable by our norms or not....hmmmm....
The elderly here maybe looked at as lonely, alone with no family but it is a different culture altogether. A kid is expected to be on his own after he turns 18 or after graduating from college (at 24), which is why moving away to college is symbolic of the 1st step towards being out of the house, on their own. They are not expected to pay back their parents, but to move on and have their own families. As much as both parents and children care for each other, they do maintain the distance of both being independent from each other. There are of course exceptions, but generally this is the case. I hear a lot of sad comments such as "I can't wait till she turns 18 so she can get out of the house". To parents, it is a relief when they no longer have kids in the house so they can move on to doing things they like to do for themselves. When the kids move out of the parents care, they both are expected to live their own lives.
ReplyDeleteAsians on the other hand, adhere to the opposite norm, and some European culture such as Italians and Hispanic too. These cultures are slowly influencing the mainstream, and I see that in some home designs nowadays, where they are larger than the previous years to accommodate the grandmas and grandpas living in the same house.
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That is so true in our personal experience. Sharon and I have a home that can easily accommodate her parents, and I have openly invited them to stay with us, as they grow older, but they want their independence, even though Sharon is their only child. The two (mother and daughter) are the closest to each other, doing things together just about almost everyday, and yet live in separate homes.
basta naiyak rin ako...
ReplyDeletegood point :-) and I'm glad am not the only one who cried ...
ReplyDeleteok naman to live their own lives...pero sometimes kc being far away makes for some "distance" (no pun intended) when they come together again even if its for a birthday or some other occasion...
ReplyDeleteI always feel sad when I see people at the Home for the Aged. I understand that its logical, its practical...but I just can't help it.
well, that is a good balance...actually, it also happens that some families live in the same house but are not close in terms of ties to each other....
ReplyDelete