The movies that Clint Eastwood directs are a lot like his performances- lean, wiry, but with a certain softness that belies the gruff exterior. And while I suppose a small part of me is a tad let down that this isn’t another chapter in the Dirty Harry saga, I like that Gran Torino seems to give Eastwood another of his patented no-bullshit roles, only in the context of his more recent “golden years” stories. While in the past he was prone to canoodling onscreen with women half his age, he’s made no bones about his own, and it’s sort of awe-inspiring to consider him kicking ass like he did thirty years ago without looking stupid while doing it. Of course, there will be plenty out there who are curious about Gran Torino’s Oscar chances, and while this doesn’t look on the surface like an Oscar-bait movie, neither did Million Dollar Baby, and look how well that turned out. So watch out, Awards Season competition- Clint wants you to get off his lawn.
