Resolution 9 - Clint Eastwood Quest - 10% Complete

I have only seen two Clint Eastwood films, but I respect the hell out of the guy. I tried to make it a point over the last year to get a list of some of his best films from a few friends and track them down through Netflix to catch up on his best work. I gathered a list of recommendations, but always neglected to add them into my Netflix queue. Inexcusable, I know, then about a month or two back I ran across this great deal of 10 Clint Eastwood classics on BluRay going back to the 60s to as recent as a few years ago for only $30. I could not pass that up, and it finally gave me the swift kick in the butt to watch some of Clint's best.

Buying it was one thing, letting it just sit there on my shelf collecting dust is something I simply cannot allow. Thus, Resolution 9, watch all 10 movies in the Clint Eastwood collection before the end of the year! I decided to watch them in the order they were placed in the BluRay casing, and at the front of the case was one of the two Eastwood films I have seen, Gran Torino.

I absolutely adore this film, and could not resist skipping over it. It is easily one of my ten favorite movies of all time. This is my third time watching it, and it still is as instantly memorable and quotable as the first time I have seen it. In case this one slipped by you, Clint stars as Walt Kowalski, a Korean War vet too set in his ways and growing increasingly perturbed as his neighborhood diversifies over the years. He forms an unlikely friendship with his Hmong neighbors after breaking up some gang violence and takes their neighbor's son Thao under his wing after he attempts to steal Walt's prized Gran Torino.

I never did develop a knack for reviewing movies, so I am going to avoid trying to turn this into a traditional film review and just gush over why I love this. Clint Eastwood absolutely nails the role of the stereotypical over the hill racist. He makes drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon seem like the most badass thing ever, a feat that only he in all of Hollywood is capable of. I was stunned at how brazen the dialogue in this movie is, and I think Clint Eastwood is the only one who could get away with it or else it would have been drastically scaled back for anyone else. Clint naturally overcomes his prejudices, and watching him bond with Thao over the duration of the film and teaching him to man up and constantly telling a helping priest to screw off throughout had me in love with what should be a very unlovable character.

There is no big budget special effects, as a majority of Gran Torino takes place in Walt's neighborhood. So it has a very down to earth, real feeling to it that resonated with me. Every single actor nails their part, and I cannot think of a single actor I disliked in their role in this film, nor can I think of a single scene I would change or remove after seeing this my third time. I take that back, there is one scene later in the film where Eastwood lies to his dog, Daisy that he is smoking in the house for the first time when there is a scene just several minutes earlier of Walt puffing on a cig. Do not lie to dogs Walt, they are your best friend! I would flip those scenes around, that is all. I can go on forever about why this is one of my all time favorites, but I do not want to talk this up to death for those that have not seen it.

Ironically enough, this was the first Eastwood film I remember seeing, and it is only appropriate it starts off this collection. Next up, well you will just have to wait and see the next Eastwood Quest blog entry to find out. I will try to knock out one of these a month, so please keep checking back and feel free to comment below if you want to gush (or hate) on this film with me!