It is a flawed movie, vastly overwritten, with characters pointing things out that we've long worked out for ourselves. Still, the self-referentiality of Eastwood's performance ensures that Gran Torino isn't just absorbing, but also moving.

| Aug 29, 2018

Seeing Eastwood ward off young gangsters was odd... well, but he pulled it off enough.

| Original Score: B | Sep 12, 2017

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 18, 2011

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Nov 17, 2011

Though the film feels like a requiem, Kowalski's heart is still defiantly beating.

| Original Score: B+ | May 6, 2011

Seeing the new inclusive Clint shows an old dog can learn new tricks. But like Walt himself, I can't help but prefer Dirty Harry to Caring Clint any day.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 27, 2009

Although the first half feels a little devoid of direction, Eastwood takes out the jump leads and kicks it into life, giving the second half of the film a better pace, vibrancy and gentle humour that makes Gran Torino worth at least one ride.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 26, 2009

This is still an enjoyably big, brash, macho melodrama, saved from absurdity by Eastwood's cracking performance.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 20, 2009

In a way it's quite touching that Eastwood still believes a man is never too old to change. One only wishes that Gran Torino were a little more subtle and a little less earnest in its operations.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 20, 2009

Directed by as well as starring Eastwood, this is the expected well-tooled, well-produced machine, effortlessly bringing into play big themes of age, race, religion, death, war, vengeance and cultural identity with humour, tension and pathos.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 20, 2009

Simply terrific, enormously watchable and an absolute must for all Eastwood fans. Gotta say it: this film will make your day.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 19, 2009

The comedy-drama on release is actually a rather wise, insightful exploration of family and friendship, violence and vengeance.

| Original Score: 4/6 | Feb 19, 2009

What the film aches for is a challenge worthy of the monster Eastwood effortlessly inhabits.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 19, 2009

He never manages, though, to penetrate to his character's much-touted depths, and it's left to young non-professionals Vang and Her to infuse the action with a spry, casual liveliness that offsets the film's rickety set-up and pacing.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 19, 2009

Game, set and match. We barely see the ball pass us before it hits the baseline, but Gran Torino has proved itself another effortless Eastwood Grand Slam victory.

| Feb 19, 2009

Gran Torino is made without fuss and acted out with the kind of natural grace only a real titan of the cinema could manage. And Clint is a titan - one of the best directors in America and a performer whose range has extended mightily throughout his career

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 19, 2009

It's a monumentally great film and keeps you spellbound till the lights come back up again.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Feb 19, 2009

Gran Torino may prove to be one be one of Eastwood's best.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Feb 13, 2009

With his shamelessly overblown ending, Eastwood reveals a taste for something he's never served up before -- corn.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jan 29, 2009

If Mt. Rushmore were to make a movie, it would probably look a lot like a Clint Eastwood movie.

| Jan 24, 2009