Saturday, January 17, 2009

Gran Turino

When people ask me what types of movies Jonathan and I go to see, I usually answer, "Either absurdly silly movies (e.g. Hot Fuzz) or movies that make us think (e.g. Gran Turino).". I had not heard much about Gran Turino before we saw it last night, just that it involved a grump old man befriending a youth at risk of gang life. Being a social worker, that was enough to make me want to plunk down $9 a piece to see it.

I really don't want to say any more about the movie's plot. Those of you who choose to see it will get to watch it unfold. I do have a short quiz for you to decide if you would like to see it:
1. Can you make it through 2 hours of the 'f' word and excessive racial slurs?
2. Have you ever gotten to know a child or family affected by gangs?
3. Do you believe in redemption?

I think that if you answered yes to those, you should see this movie. This is only the second Clint Eastwood directed film I have seen (Letters from Iwo Jima being the first), and I think he is a great film maker. He especially captures the internal struggle his characters experience.

And please respect the R rating. This is not an appropriate movie for kids under 17, and I think any teen who sees this movie needs to be pretty mature.

That said, I highly recommend the movie to those who seek thinker-friendly films.

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