FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Gran Torino [DVD] [2008]

Gran Torino [DVD] [2008]
enlarge	Director: Clint Eastwood Actors: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley Studio: Warner Home Video Category: DVD List Price: ~~£19.99~~ Buy New: £6.97 as of 22/11/2009 15:36 GMT details You Save: £13.02 (65%) New (15) Used (3) from £4.40 Seller: great_entertainment Rating: 89 reviews Sales Rank: 57 Format: PAL Languages: English (Audio Description), English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), Italian (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Unknown), English (Subtitled), Arabic (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), Hebrew (Subtitled), Icelandic (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled), Italian (Dubbed) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 112 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1 Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5051892004299 ASIN: B001O9C4RI Theatrical Release Date: 2008 Release Date: June 29, 2009 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 89 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...18 Next » At least one guy in hollywood is making real movies May 13, 2009 John Edward Colman (UK) 41 out of 47 found this review helpful What can I say? If I try to describe this film to someone it sounds terrifically dull - but it's wonderful. br /Okay, I'm an old softie: I loved "Bridges of Madison" and "Million Dollar Baby" and this is of the same high quality. br /Clint takes the time to develop the characters. Why don't other film-makers bother to do that? The film is great because you actually care about the characters - even the ones who hardly speak. They feel fully fleshed out and have real personalities. At times the performances are so spontaneous that they feel improvised. br /It doesn't really matter what this film's name is or what the plot is about. This is a "people" film about real life (not mine thankfully) and just when you start to think it might be turning into Dirty Harry, it turns into something else - something which everything about the Clint Eastwood character has been setting up throughout the film. br /Five stars. Thank you Mr. Eastwood. It's not about the car... December 28, 2008 L. Power (San Francisco) 138 out of 162 found this review helpful Throughout his illustrious acting career, Clint Eastwood has delivered a series of iconic characters, such as The Man with no name, Dirty Harry, Josie Wales, and Will Munny in Unforgiven. br / br /Throughout his illustrious directing career he has delivered outstanding movies such as Unforgiven, Mystic River, and Million Dollar Baby, for which he has won five Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, and including the Irving Thalberg Life Achievement Award. br / br /The actors who have worked with him have been blessed with Oscar: Gene Hackman for Unforgiven, Tim Robbins and Sean Penn for Mystic River, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby. br / br /In Gran Torino he both directs and acts, and delivers an acting performance that will be remembered long after the final credits roll, in its unique way, as memorable as any other character he has created. br / br /Gran Torino is the second best movie I have seen this year. Not just for the acting, not just for the directing, but for the storytelling, and the emotional journey on which it takes you, the laughter, the feeling of being gripped, and its more surprising moments. br / br /In the opening scenes, we have the exposition of the character. We get to know Walt Kowalski, by how people act around him, and his seemingly hateful attitude towards people. More is conveyed through a scowl, and a snarl than with words. When the mischievous grandchildren go through his stuff in the basement, we see the photographs and the Silver Star he won in Korea. There are three other important symbols in the movie, the lighter, the gun, and the car. br / br /We see a hero with a warrior past, a patriot who fought for a cause greater than himself. Clearly, his bigotry stems from those experiences. br / br /He's not just mean, he's 'get of my lawn' mean. He's Dirty Harry 'Go ahead punk, make my day!,' mean. br / br /His dead wife's priest bugs him to hear his confession, at her request. The priest in a way is his wife's conscience. So begins the theme of redemption. br / br /When he snarls down the barrel of his rifle, at the neighborhood punk: 'I could blow your head off, and sleep like a baby,' you get the sense that he means it. br / br /So, with all that happens, we see the change in his decision making, from someone reluctant to be involved in his neighbor's affairs, and a story can turn on something as random as looking at an empty beer cooler. br / br /For all his faults, Walt has mature masculine character. Even though he is a difficult father, he has taught his children character. So, when he sees the boy next door lacks character, and a strong male role model, he takes him under his wing, and teaches him how to be a man. br / br /The scenes where the boy practises Walt's high octane ball busting banter, are the funniest in the movie. Through knowing Walt, he makes decisions he never would have made by himself. In so doing, Walt finds meaning and purpose, and a chance for redemption, and the boy becomes a man. br / br /The Academy's actor awards tend to go to actors in two types of role: br / br /1. Psychopath- No Country for Old Men, The Usual Suspects, There Will Be Blood, Training Day, Silence of the Lambs. br / br /2. Mentally Disabled, Social or Physical Handicap, overcomes great adversity or discrimination- Shine, As Good as It Gets, A Beautiful Mind, Ray, Scent of a Woman, Capote, Philadelphia, The Pianist, A Beautiful Life. br / br /Every rule has an exception. Russell Crowe in Gladiator played a character with thematic similarities to Walt. br / br /For a 78 year old man to direct and be lead actor in a movie of this caliber is an achievement worthy at the very least of being nominated for the highest award for Acting, Directing or both. br / br /I hope this was helpful. br / Swansong For Eastwood? June 28, 2009 Ms. J. F. Gilby (bexhill, uk) 20 out of 24 found this review helpful Is this the final film for Clint Eastwood to star in? I don't know but if it is, it's a excellent swansong for him as this movie is brilliant from the first few minutes to the final breathtaking seconds. Eastwood plays Walt, a man who's lost his wife and is now a bit of a grumpy man. His grandsons hardly want to know him, their own family are evil and only want things when he's dead too. When a family of Hauong people arrive, he sickened by the thought of living with strangers. But when one of them tries to steal his Gran Torino, he soon bonds with the family and becomes a part to them though there is danger from nasty gangs wanting the young boy to be in their group. It's gripping stuff with some laugh-out loud moments along with touching scenes from the cast lead by Eastwood, this is his best pefomance ever without doubt. I highly recommend this to anyone who loved his movies or wanting to see a great movie for near two hours. I just finished wathing this film! February 7, 2009 J. Kirk (Bristol, UK) 31 out of 42 found this review helpful Clint Eastwood is one of my favourite actors of all time, that said I came to the film expecting not a great deal. br / br /What I got was a film that both made me laugh, made me feel angry and as much as I hate to admit it made me choke back a tear. It is well written but not amazing, it is well filmed but nothing ground breaking but that is not what the film is trying to do. What the film does is makes you immerse. The acting is fantastic (all but the priest, I was brought back into the real world on occasion by this character). Clint Eastwood is simply brilliant and on top of his game, there are some who would say that he is single faceted and only plays grumpy alpha males but in fact in this he is similar to only one character he has played before and that is the one he played in million dollar baby. br / br /In my opinion his best work has been that of the last 10 years and in conclusion perhaps million dollar baby was a more rounded film but this was a fantastic movie experiance and one that serves the pupose of what any art is supposed to do, it moves you and makes you lose yourself if only for an hour and a half... br / br /please enjoy. br / br /This is the first review I have written for anything, I hope it was helpful! Ranks among Eastwoods finest .... Outstanding!! July 18, 2009 N. Thompson (Hull, England) 4 out of 5 found this review helpful A truely excellent movie and a great one for Clint Eastwood to end his acting career on. This ranks as one of Eastwoods finest films; its deep, thoughtfull, moving and its dark humour at times made me laugh. This is in no way a comedy but Eastwoods dry, straight-forward delivery was a joy to witness. br / br /Eastwoods plays an ex-soldier coming to terms with his wifes death. His sons, daughter inlaws and grandchildren are not that close to him and they struggle to communicate with him due to his being crumpy and 'set in his ways'. He is also somewhat of a racist but his attitude slowly warms to an Asian family living next door when he rescues their son from a local gang. The plot slowy thickens but i wont spoil it any further. br / br /The characters are deep and meaningful, the script is absorbing with elements of dark humour, the acting is excellent and the story never becomes too predictable. br / br /Best film I have seen in a long while. Showing reviews 1-5 of 89 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...18 Next »

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