Gran Torino

I have been a big fan of Clint Eastwood from the Spaghetti Western(i.e. High Plains Difter) and the Dirty Harry days. He embodies all of the attributes of a strong male leading actor. As he has gotten older, he has focused more on the Directing and Producing side of the film industry. In Gran Torino he does all three!
The movie opens with a glimpse into the life of Walt Kowalski(Clint). As he reviews his relationships and experiences, over the years, he has mixed feelings. Ultimately, he comes to terms with what he has accomplished after his Hmong(Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia) neighbors become his very unlikely friends. I especial like the Hmong teenager Sue Lor. She is played by newcomer Ahney Her. She not only exposes us to the traditional Hmong culture but also to the integration challenges of any non-American culture in the US. To add to these challenges, Sue’s younger brother (Thao played by Bee Vang)is being recruited by the local Hmong street gang. To keep Thao away from the gang life, Walt shows him what he means to be a real man and it leads to some very funny dialog. The movie pulls no punches with the racial slurs used by Walt. This movie is not appropriate for younger viewers and the powerful ending has lots of religious overtones.