Why do people like Gran Torino so much?!
They don't just like it- they love it and we can't understand how. Just look at all those stars on the advert that I found in the paper...
Empire- shame on you:
'4/5 Simply terrific, enormously watchable and an absolute must for all Eastwood fans. Gotta say it: this film will make your day.'
IMDb shame on you: No.80 in the best films of all time. Better than 2001' (87)? Better than Braveheart (103)? Better even than Jaws (106)?!
We gave it:
Gran Torino
4/10
Clint is hilarious but can’t save a weak story with terrible acting. Full of laughable moments that aren’t deliberate.
Mar 15th
4/10
Clint is hilarious but can’t save a weak story with terrible acting. Full of laughable moments that aren’t deliberate.
Mar 15th
If you haven't seen it yet here's a snapshot of it on the tube.
So why do I think this is the most overrated film in years? Well sometimes if you're not in the mood for a film, or you're tired, or you have an unhealthy dislike for one of it's actors then that explains it. But this wasn't the case. I wanted to like this film. I like Clint as an actor and director: exhibit A...
Changeling
9/10.
Compelling heart-wrenching drama of a bleak,corrupt 20s LA.More proof that Eastwood is 1 of America's most vital filmmakers.
11:50 AM Feb 22nd
9/10.
Compelling heart-wrenching drama of a bleak,corrupt 20s LA.More proof that Eastwood is 1 of America's most vital filmmakers.
11:50 AM Feb 22nd
Some of the it was hilarious like the casual and embarrassing racism that Clint spews out so nonchalantly: 'what are you fish heads looking at.' Eastwood does play a grumpy racist very well.
But that doesn't right the many wrongs in this long, expensive and hyped up film. I have issue with the story for example. More specifically the pacing of it. One minute we are enjoying Eastwood's hatred for the world then next he is forgiving the next door neighbour for trying to steal his pride and joy- a vintage Gran Torino.
It's all too fast and too unbelievable. I thought the whole point of the film is for a racist old man to get redemption for his war atrocities? If this is the case then it definitely peaked too soon. The most ridiculous example of this is the cringe-worthy BBQ scene about 1/3 through. It all happens too quickly and lacks the depth of character that I think the film was aiming for.
Another major issue is the script. I'm not a director or film maker but I can spot a cliche when I see one! The worst example of this was the scene where Walt (Eastwood) confronts the gang of black youths who are harassing the lead girl for no apparent reason. You can watch it here.
Or how about the awful adlibing here.
Do people actually talk like this?!
It seems to me that this film is a bit of a mess: it tries to be 'down with the kids' whilst also pleasing the old Dirty Harry fans whilst also trying to give us all a stern moral message. Instead, in the humble opinion of 10SecondReviews it fails on all three counts and is simply hilarious.
Or have I just missed the point?
Joe
Posts
2 comments:
I stumbled in here because I watched the movie a while back and went "what the..." and then lately people have been talking about how good it is, and on IMDB it scored crazy high.. I googled "why do people like gran torino" and this page popped up, you pretty much summed up my impression of the film. At first I thought I'd missed some vital piece of info about this movie, like it being one made in collaboration with an amateur theatre or something, but nah.. I mean it would be decent if it was that kind of a project, but it's not.
I've never felt less like a philistine than I do right now.
I also googled "why do people like this movie so much?!" And here I am. You're right, they don't like it they LOVE it. I feel like maybe these are the same gullible idiots that like Dancing with the Stars, Ice Skating with the Stars, maybe the Bachelor?? You did sum this movie up very well, it really could have been great, if done completely different. People think I'm horrible for not being sensitive to the message in the movie, and I have to explain that I completely understand the moral of the story, but the way they carried it out was utterly hilarious (because of the acting, and timing, etc). I would actually have been pissed that they didn't represent my culture or my message more seriously, or in a more sophisticated way. Changeling on the other hand; I was moved by that movie in so many ways; loved how it was done.
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