Gran Torino

I have this movie on my laptop for a long time now and so decided to watch it tonight. I didn't bother to read up, sometimes it's nice to what surprises it brings. After the show, I felt pretty sad for Walt. It's not really a happy movie, and there is no fairytale ending. But I do like such movies, except for the fact that they tend to be quite thought-provoking.

Walt Kowalski (by Clint Eastwood) is a retired Polish American living in Michigan neighbourhood populated with immigrants. He's an unhappy, grumpy and unfriendly old man who feels distant from his sons, and doesn't like his neighbours. After an incident or two, he slowly established a friendship with the teenage Hmong neighbours, Sue and Thao. In the end, he sacrificed his life for them just to save them from the harrassment by the Hmong gang which is headed by Sue's cousin.

The title has actually very little to do with the story except that the car (Gran Torino) is the object of envy of Thao and his Walt's grand daughter, and in the end, he actually left it for Thao, his friend. Isn't it amazing that sometimes how friendship overpowers kinship?

Overall, it's a great movie and one with an unexpected ending! I enjoyed it, but I still feel sorry for Walt. At least he died a hero, didn't he!