CLEVELAND - Some actors and actresses were born to play certain roles. A few of them, the legends, do such masterful jobs that they can evoke real emotion in their audience.With that said, Clint Eastwood scares the heck out of me!
Eastwood, 78 is a cinematic legend. His latest flick, Gran Torino does nothing but build on that iconic status of his. Forever known as Dirty Harry, the man who famously uttered the words, "go ahead, make my day" in 1983's Sudden Impact, Eastwood is a senior citizen now, but in this new film, (which he also directed) he seems more dangerous and macho than ever.
Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran who has just lost his wife. Kowalski seems to be a bitter old man, resistant to the changes around him and frustrated at the influx of Hmong people into his neighborhood. When one of them tries to steal his prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino, he puts the boy in his place and eventually has the young man working for him. Kowalski uses a plethora of epithets throughout the film (delivered in Eastwood's trademark gruff rumble) and never backs down from the "young punks" that are causing trouble in the neighborhood.
"I'll blow a hole in your face and sleep like a baby," says Eastwood as Kowalski.
Kowalski refuses to be cowered by anyone and always carries his trusty M-1 rifle from the war. Eastwood's legendary reputation as a tough guy makes him seem even more menacing when he simply points his index finger and shoots an imaginary gun, as he does several times in the film.
Despite a stunningly sad conclusion, Gran Torino is an excellent movie. Eastwood has done it again.
He's "made my day."
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