Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2008 > October > 27 > Entry
Clint Eastwood’s new movie - What the HECK??
I had planned to devote several posts to scary movies this week, but Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino isn’t QUITE what I had I mind.
The trailer for Eastwood’s new movie, in which he directs and stars for the first time since Million Dollar Baby, is out - and I don’t know what in the world to make of it. Take a look see.
On the one hand, it’s kind of fun to see Clint playing a “Don’t f—- with me” type again. But the tone of this trailer seems so over the top, it’s almost … comical. When Clint growls “Get off my lawn,” I couldn’t help but think of the creepy old guy in Monster House. I’m sure that’s not the effect Eastwood was going for.
Reaction to the trailer has been wildly mixed on the net. I’ve heard it described as Clint playing an Archie Bunker who actually beats people up, but is that really a good idea? Some have said, and I think justly so, that if this were anyone BUT Eastwood, Gran Torino would be laughed out of theaters.
Since it IS Eastwood however, it is simply impossible to write it off. I’ve also heard Oscar prognosticators swear up, down, left and right, that this will be the film that gets Clint an acting Oscar. (He’s won four, for directing and producing Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby. He was nominated as an actor in both those films, but did not win that category.)
My take: It will either be really great, or really terrible. No in-between. It comes out here Jan. 16.
In other Eastwood news, his other film from this year, Changeling with Angelina Jolie, opens here this Friday. Reviews have been all over the map. Some say it’s great, others say it’s greatly disappointed. I’ll report on it after I see it this weekend.
What do you think of Gran Torino or Changeling’s prospects?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Coming Attractions
Comments
By J. R. Townsend
December 29, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this
I think Gran Torino is a typlical Eastwood movie. He takes guff from no one — and makes them more than sorry that they even thought to mess with him. Lots of action — the good guys win, the bad guys lose — the logo of Eastwood’s movies. Viewers like his kind of movies because they are so tired of the bad guys winning and the good guys losing in real life — i.e., our pathetic law system. As Eastwood knows what his fans want,for 90 or so minutes we get to see the bad guys get what’s coming to them for a change.By Allie D.
October 28, 2008 5:28 PM | Link to this
I finally got around to watching this trailer and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I love Clint’s movies and I love seeing him IN movies. And I have to admit that I’m a sucker for the reluctant hero who finally gives in…By Rob
October 27, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this
I find the change in tone with the Changeling ads interesting. The first ads pushed it as the story of a woman whose child is lost and after he’s found again she goes insane, thinking he’s not hers. Suddenly this weekend the ads started pushing it as a story of police corruption.