'Gran' Opening

As a general rule, I don't go see movies in the theater on Sunday; I can relax and better enjoy the movie when I know I don't have work the next day. Instead, if there is anything worth paying at least $7 to see, I see it on Saturday (I was too busy yesterday to go to a movie). I made a rare exception to that rule today when I went to see Clint Eastwood's latest gem, Gran Torino, in which he stars and also directs; he is one of the few Hollywood legends for whom I will break that rule.

Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran living in a Detroit suburb that has become increasingly fraught with gang violence. Soon after his wife passes, a family of Hmong immigrants moves in next door, forcing him to reevaluate his racist attitudes as they attempt to forge a friendship with him after their son tries to steal Kowalski's 1972 model vehicle, the movie's namesake. Slowly, Kowalski finds that he has more in common with them than his own ungrateful family.

Some confrontations in the film may seem far-fetched. After all, Eastwood at times confronts gun-toting gang members while showing no fear at all. However, when you consider that this is a Clint Eastwood film, these moments are surprisingly effective in their suspense and feature humorous one-liners (a scene in which Kowalski stands in front of his house grunting "get off my lawn" with teeth gritted and firearm raised is sure to become Eastwood's newest "do you feel lucky" iconic scene).

Gran Torino earned $29 million over the weekend, Eastwood's best opening weekend to date. Coming on the heels of Changeling, released in October,  it is the product of a veteran filmmaker still at the top of his game, but whose best work may be yet to come. If it is, it will likely happen with Eastwood behind the camera; he told CNN recently that he may soon retire from acting to focus on directing. He is currently directing Morgan Freeman in a film about Nelson Mandela.