Simon Dillon reviews the film

When reviewing Clint Eastwood films, it's getting harder and harder to manfully resist the "gets-better-with-age-like-a-good whisky" cliché. Yet here more than ever such a cliché seems appropriate. If Gran Torino turns out to be the last starring role for Clint, his brilliant portrayal of Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski is certainly a great way to end an extraordinary acting career. His subtle and layered performance really captures the grouchy nuances of this complex character, and although it's initially tempting to picture him as Dirty Harry in retirement, Walt Kowalski proves to be something altogether different and unexpected.

Opening at his saintly wife's funeral, Walt quietly fumes as he watches his spoilt grandchildren texting in the service. His estranged sons provide no comfort for him, especially as they want to put him into a retirement home. Walt himself is unwell, and spends most of his time performing DIY tasks, drinking beer, talking to his dog Daisy, and moaning about how his sons don't buy American products.

The funeral wake is contrasted with a baby party his Oriental neighbours are engaged in at the same time, suggesting something new is about to be emerge from the ashes of Walt's own life. Because of his experiences in Korea, Walt sees all Oriental people as essentially the same, and he is equally xenophobic about other races living in his neighbourhood. However when Thao - a troubled teenage boy from next door - attempts to steal Walt's most prized possession, a mint condition 1972 Gran Torino car, events take an unusual turn. Thao's family are mortified at his attempted theft, and insist he help Walt around the house to make up for it. Walt reluctantly accepts, but when it transpires that Thao's efforts to steal the Gran Torino were part of an initiation to join a dangerous neighbourhood gang, Walt decides to take the boy under his wing. He becomes an extremely unlikely mentor, inspiring him mainly by insulting him. Soon he has Thao getting a job at a construction site and going on a date with a girl he was previously painfully shy in front of. At the same time, Walt also saves Thao's bright sister Sue from being accosted by a gang, and the two form an unlikely friendship. She invites him into their house and he slowly becomes a family friend.

Prior to her death, Walt's late wife persuaded young Catholic priest Father Janovich to look after her husband and to get him to confess his sins. At first, Walt is having none of it, and gives the persistent young priest a very hard time. However, as events in the story progress, Walt's actions become increasingly redemptive. Whilst he still refers to his neighbours with all manner of racial slurs, right to their faces, it becomes clear that he has more in common with their honourable ways than that of his own spoilt family. A grudging mutual respect develops, and soon Walt wants to do something to ensure that Sue and Thao's lives are no longer plagued by the gangs in the neighbourhood.

Behind the camera, Clint Eastwood's spare, stripped-back and deceptively simple directing style once again proves he is second to none at allowing his story and characters to breathe. Dave Johannson and Nick Schenk's screenplay does not rush things, but moves slowly yet compellingly. In addition, it's also very funny, and contains several laugh-out-loud moments often as a result of Walt's grumpy old man persona. Lines like "Get off my lawn" will almost certainly become as memorable as "Do you feel lucky punk?" and other classic Clint one-liners.

On a moral and spiritual level this is absolutely tremendous stuff. For a start, Walt's mentoring of Thao is an unashamedly old school - if unorthodox - study of discipleship. Whilst Walt has issues of bitterness and lacks tact, his tell-it-like-it-is attitude actually does Thao great favours. Gran Torino is also a fearless exploration of racism and ageism, unfettered by political correctness. But it is even more than that. It is, above all, a profound parable of sacrifice and redemption, the details of which I will not go into as I do not wish to spoil the film.

As an aside, how Oscar voters ignored the brilliant one/two punch of Changeling and Gran Torino is a mystery to me. Both are far better than certain other films that were nominated (The Reader for instance) and one of them at least should have had its place in the nominations. Perhaps the presence of two great Clint pictures split the vote, but I take the rather more cynical view that when it comes to Clint Eastwood liberal Hollywood is happier to recognise the brilliant but spiritually abhorrent Million Dollar Baby, rather than the brilliant and spiritually redemptive Gran Torino.

It's only fair to point out that the film contains a great deal of bad language. However, it didn't strike me as gratuitous and given the outstanding moral and spiritual content contained herein those who can stomach it will find a great deal to praise. Although the supporting cast are very good - particularly Bee Vang as Thao, Ahney Her as Sue and Christopher Carley as Father Janovich - it is Clint Eastwood who rightly dominates the film, giving what could well be his finest single performance to date. For this reason alone, Gran Torino feels like the culmination of an American legend's life's work and is therefore a must-see.