So, I finally saw Gran Torino, starring the legendary take-no-sh!t Clint Eastwood. I'm a little late to the party, as usual, but I must say the movie was very entertaining. Besides already hearing numerous good things about the film from critics and close friends, I was pleasantly surprised to see good ol' Mr. Dirty Harry still has his charm. For anyone who hasn't seen the urban drama by now, I'll refrain from spoiling any of the juicy bits… basically, Eastwood is a veteran of the Korean War, bitter about his experiences and overall life, he spends most of the movie spewing racial slurs and exacting justice where he deems suitable.
When I first head about the main plot, it sounded appealing enough to keep me occupied for an hour or so. Then someone told me about the elderly Caucasian star ranting on and on about people of different color and such… this, as an avid movie go-er of all genres was alarming to say the least. No matter how much I enjoy terrible B-movies, its never easy to stomach films or characters who blatantly disrespect other cultures. With that, I reserved my interest in seeing the film, and most fellow fans of cinema assumed I already experienced the aging Eastwood endeavor. Truth is, I either departed from the conversation, or simply came clean with the fact that I haven't seen the movie. To anyone who is superficial enough to be concerned with such details, it would be somewhat difficult to reveal to others that yer slipping on the movie-game. For me, I was turned off by the concept of an elderly Eastwood cleaning up racially diverse neighborhoods with malice and diluted righteous.
If you grew up watching the man kick @ss Bronson-$tyle against inner city street gangs, the transition to neighbor-friendly, racially charged Gran Torino could be… perplexing. Label me naïve :P
Nearly two hours later, I find myself watching the credits and thinking, "this movie could have used a little more focus on a certain subject". Being that I personally have enough troubles as it is keeping focused on subjects while typing much less speaking, being critical wasn't difficult to overcome. As I said, I don't want to spoil the movie for others… but I really felt like Gran Torino opened up on a good note (the younger generation not respecting their elders) and teetered off into a side story that would mostly appeal to neighbors who are accustom to snooping on the world through their curtains...
Bottom line is, a movie about an old white man pissed off about the way his neighborhood is changing doesn't win awards. Instead, you need to grab the audience and drag them along an emotionally tattered story where people connect and see positive change. Without a doubt, Gran Torino offers that. Even though I mentioned such trivial plot-drivers as mere tangents, the overall story really does deliver in a sense that you can relate as a young/old man or woman who has lived in bad neighborhoods. If you're cynical enough, some parts could be considered comical… while many others I like to think are extremely uncomfortable and unfortunately familiar. For any fans of Clint Eastwood, the Redbox (my favorite source for renting movies), or simply urban dramas, check out Gran Torino! It's definitely not a film for little kids, but if you want some insightful teenagers to have a moment of self-reflection through turbulence, give this movie a chance.
As for other matters in life, I've been pretty focused on just living. Watching the NBA Finals (thank you regular cable!!), working when I can and where I can, paying my few bills, eating out WAY too much, and staying entertained with a few games/movies here and there (mostly stuff that's been on the shelf) has been tending well to my insatiable "urges".
I don't need much to keep quiet, especially when I'm lucky enough to afford a few beers in the comforts of my little apartment. To think, there was a time when I would "demand" expensive whiskey and no substitute… and now I'm full of glee simply having clean, cold water. Oh, how a few years can show such dramatic difference in perception and appreciation. Wish I could say the same for my food habits though… something about spoiling my stomach has surely become my kryptonite. Hopefully I don't become over-weight, because then the REAL money/depression problems will blossom! :roll:
I really enjoyed the E3 event of this year… for what I could watch. Being that my laptop (my only means for personal computing) is pretty old and beat up, conferences and interviews were limited. I could have arranged something with a friend's computer, but in all due respect, that's like asking someone to use their underwear. Not my fortay.
On a positive, I can always read up on the gaming happenings of Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. July is my last month of subscription with Game Informer, so I'm mighty curious what their layout will be like this year for the E3 blow out. Even with so many gamers turning to the online source as their number one way for updated info (which is logical no doubt) I'm still a sucker for magazines and papers. Never confuse me for a tree-hugger! I strongly believe toilet material is key for the human race to properly "relieve" themselves… next to functioning toilets and waste disposal.
Quick little Brett Favre update for all my fellow football fanatics (as if you haven't heard) the nearly 40-year old QB has gone through with the shoulder surgery, and is currently on schedule with the 4-8 week recovery process. No word yet if he is officially committed to a team (especially the Vikes) or returning to the NFL at all. I know… if I were so concerned with MY TEAM being able to break their loser-mentality, I would deviate from all this silly talk about recruiting a sworn rival for a measly single season of unknown success/disaster. Truth is, the Minnesota Vikings could really use a reliable quarterback.
I see a lot of potential in the team we have going into 2009; something about a well-respected, battle-tested veteran could be the magic glue to help it all come together. My biggest fear though… what about 2010? :| If you dump tons of money and effort into a guy who can barely play one season of football, what does that do to the remaining team… how do you build around that coach?!
The excitement in reaching a Superbowl, or Heaven forbid actually winning one after all these years seems to be the dominant force behind all this Favre drama. And I'm starting to feel the contagious itch! Besides, if Brett really wanted to stay retired he would have opted out of surgery completely and left everyone in the dark… instead, he gets the shoulder surgery, which is damn near a screaming beacon that he's bound for opening season. In the coming months leading up to the NFL opener, I'm really curious how things will play out for Minnesota. We don't have much to cheer for in the sports realm (Vikings = curse, Twins = potential, Wild = effort, Timberwolves = misery, other teams = meh) so I'm really hoping whatever daring gambles our coaching staff make to keep their jobs pulls off… because if it doesn't, welcome to the world of unfair unemployment. You got a spot in line behind me coach Brad Childress… nothing personal…