Get off My Blog: A Gran Torino Review

The greatest movie of the year 2008 (also 2009 because that’s when I saw it) was clearly Gran Torino. Now I don’t want to criticize anyone who didn’t like this film, that would be wrong of me. However, know that if you do meet someone who didn’t like this film, they are most likely fans of Jimmy Carter. They also believe Nancy Pelosi when she says she wasn’t in those meetings, and that makes them liars. So with that being said, my advice to the honest would be to not trust the opinions of someone who didn’t like the movie.

Now the reason why Gran Torino was so good, was because it made you feel. With all the crap Hollywood has made lately, I just cant bring myself to feel. When Tom Hanks walks around calling himself “Professor Robert Langdon” I’m sorry, I know you try Mister Hanks, but all I see is you. You will never be “Robert Langdon”, you’re Tom Hanks. Now get off my movie screen.

It also feels like plots and characters these days have no soul. Even for children the plot is lame. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed John Travolta’s voice in Bolt, but where the heck was the villain in that movie? Bolt needed to be more like Up (which was also a good movie), now that villain was a psychopath. Nonetheless, it just feels like movies and actors aren’t what they use to be. I use to be a big baby bawling my eyes out at anything, really. Little did I know that it wasn’t because I was a bawling wuss, it was because the movie was actually good. Cried in Schindler’s List; good movie. Cried in Hamburger Hill; good movie. I think the last movie I cried in was Spider-man 3 (I was happy Spidey forgave Sandman.) Didn’t cry in the Changling (which is also a Clint Eastwood movie). I was entertained sure, I like Angelina Jolie, but she didn’t touch me. Surprisingly enough, I did not cry during The Boy in the Striped Pajama’s. Couldn’t do it, and that involved children! But I just couldn’t do it.

I thought maybe I had grown a heart of stone (or just matured and can now tell myself it’s just a movie), but I like my heart to feel something. I like to think about the plot and the characters’ triumphs or failures. I want to be sad or mad, or even happy. I want you to do your job as an actor and entertain me (like Heath Ledger did as the Joker!) So when I saw Gran Torino, it was a shock. I felt tears that eventually fell. I was so sure that a movie would never make me emotional again! When I left the theater, I immediately wanted to watch it again, which NEVER happens. I HATE seeing a movie twice. But I did! I watched it again with my best friend Taylor. I cried the 2nd time even harder!

I just absolutely adored Sue, the older sister of Thao (or Tao from what I’ve also seen). She was hilarious, why would you ever want to harm her? Oh but those gang members did, and I was so sad for Walt Kowalski, for he blamed himself. And they made him cry, so then I cried. The 2nd time I watched it, I knew it was coming. I knew she was going to get hurt, and before all of that even happened, here came the tears. It’s not your fault Walt! Someone hurt you, that much is clear; but it’s not your fault (I yell things at the TV if I am really in to it. Being in a theater doesn’t change that by the way) I don’t know. I just liked to get sucked into a story. Gran Torino accomplished that. I hope Hollywood gets out of its crappy streak and makes more films like it. So far, it doesn’t seem like it….Though Johnny Depp has a new movie coming out (and I liked him in Secret Window.) So that should be cool. I also heard about a Sherlock Holmes movie with Iron Man. I like him too.