“I would highly appreciate very much if you would at least acknowledge any materials used or at least ask for a permission first. Unless specified, all other materials are from the private collection of the blog owner. Thank you very much!”

Sunday, February 15, 2009

CLINT EASTWOOD'S "CHANGELING" and "GRAN TORINO"

I’m a great fan and admirer of Clint Eastwood from the time he starred in Sergio Leone’s ‘Spaghetti’ trilogy western movies (A Fistful of Dollars, A Few Dollars More and The Good The Bad and The Ugly), as the rugged and mean cop in Dirty Harry and as a disc jockey in Play Misty For Me, also his directorial debut. This guy has tremendous talent and at 78, he still comes up with magnificent and outstanding works. Two of his recent film projects are simply incredible. I just watched these two movies and both are great and highly recommended!


Clint Eastwood directs Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich in a provocative drama based on actual events: Changeling. In the film, Christine Collins’ (Jolie) prayers are met when her kidnapped son is returned. But amidst the frenzy of the photo-op reunion, she realizes this child is not hers. Facing corrupt police and a skeptical public, she desperately hunts for answers, only to be confronted by a truth that will change her forever.

Los Angeles
, 1928: On a Saturday morning in a working-class suburb, Christine said goodbye to her son, Walter, and left for work. When she came home, she discovered he had vanished. A fruitless search ensues, and months later, a boy claiming to be the nine-year-old is returned. Dazed by the swirl of cops, reporters and her conflicted emotions, Christine allows him to stay overnight. But in her heart, she knows he is not Walter. As she pushes authorities to keep looking, she learns that in Prohibition-era L.A., women don’t challenge the system and live to tell their story. Slandered as delusional and unfit, Christine finds an ally in activist Reverend Briegleb (Malkovich), who helps her fight the city to look for her missing boy. Based on the actual incident that rocked California’s legal system, Changeling tells the shocking tale of a mother’s quest to find her son, and those who won’t stop until they silence her.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/changeling/




(CNN) -- You may have noticed: Clint Eastwood has become respectable in his old age.


To judge by the release pattern and some of the more reverent reviews, you would think the 78-year-old director's second movie of the season (after "Changeling") was another prestige picture with Oscar firmly in its sights, along the lines of "Million Dollar Baby" or "Letters from
Iwo Jima."

Nominations may be forthcoming, or they may not (we'll find out January 22), but trust me, "Gran Torino" is not that kind of animal. It's a crude but pungent stab at popular filmmaking, blue-collar and bare-knuckle.


Which is not to say it's disappointing. On the contrary, it's an entertaining star vehicle that does its job well. Other films around right now tackle "important" themes -- the Holocaust, justice, alienation -- but "Gran Torino" is all about Clint:: the suspicious squint, granite composure and bad-ass attitude. Is Eastwood important? If you have grown up with this enduring American icon, there's no question about it. Apparently Nick Schenk's screenplay wasn't written specifically for him, but after seeing the film it's impossible to imagine it with anyone else.

Eastwood's Walt Kowalski is a Korean War veteran and retired auto worker, a grumpy old man and the last white guy holding on to his property in an inner-city neighborhood that's been taken over by Asian-Americans.

The movie opens at his wife's funeral. (How many times have we seen Eastwood with a wife on screen? Not too often.) Walt's not happy, of course, but more than anything, he seems pissed off. His kids are a sore disappointment. The grandkids merit nothing more than a growl. At the wake, even the priest, Father Janovich (freckle-faced Christopher Carley), is quickly shown the door.


Walt is alone now, and he means to keep it that way. He sits on a deck chair out on his front porch, a cooler of beer beside him, the American flag hanging limp over his square patch of lawn.

It's a portrait of implacable American isolationism -- until the teenage son of his Hmong next-door neighbor encroaches on Walt's turf. Thao (Bee Vang) nearly gets his head blown off trying to steal Walt's prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino. To apologize, and to thank the white guy for stepping in to save him from the gangbangers who put him up to the stunt, Thao reluctantly reports for a week of whatever chores Walt might ask of him.


The grudging mutual respect that develops between them is entirely predictable, but in Eastwood's clean, unfussy but discreetly patient direction, even a banal task -- like wrestling an old fridge out of the basement -- assumes the bonding power Alan Ladd and Van Heflin found in digging out a stubborn tree stump in "Shane." Like other Eastwood heroes before him, Walt sacrifices his independence by accepting that others depend on him.

The relationship is also laced with plenty of gruff humor. If you're feeling indulgent, the film has almost as many laughs as a comedy. The older man introduces Thao to his barber (John Carroll Lynch) for a lesson in guy talk -- which turns out to be the art of barking invective with impunity. (PC, it's not.)


Meanwhile, Walt's own racist (Archie) Bunker mentality thaws when Thao's self-assured sister Sue (Ahney Her) introduces him to the pleasures of Thai food.

All the while, the neighborhood punks hover in the background, waiting for the right moment to test whether Dirty Old Harry is firing anything more than blanks these days.


Schenk's screenplay isn't subtle, and some of the young cast struggle to camouflage its crudeness, but Eastwood revels in the pragmatic design and roughneck humor of the piece. Walt may be a dinosaur, but he carries a big footprint. In a similar way, "Gran Torino" is no classic, but at least it's a star vehicle worthy of a true legend.

By Tom Charity
Special to CNN


At more than $110.5 million and counting, "Gran Torino" is now the top-grossing movie of Clint Eastwood's career.

23 comments:

Rodolfo Samonte said...

Simon,
Hindi ko pa napapanood. I'll see them when they come out in DVD.
Rod

TheCoolCanadian said...

I've seen both, but I like Gran Torino better. Clint is in his own element here.

Amazing how his performance has gotten better and better since REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) when he played role of a Lab Technician. I watched this one to have a good laugh but was surprised to see a young Clint and he wasn't even credited. He-he. Nobody seemed to notice him in America, well, why not go to Italy?

But of course he was truly fabulous in Segio Leone's Spaghetti westerns: A fistful of dollars, For a few dollars more & The good the bad and the ugly. These three features are priceless.

Rodolfo Samonte said...

Simon,
Aside from the Dollar Trilogy, I've seen Clint's other westerns at least 2 or 3 times. Then there's the Dirty Harry series. I wrote something about him in my blog: http://rsamonte1.blogspot.com/2007/05/burbank-best-little-city-in-usa.html
when by chance I saw him at a health food store here near where I live.
It's in the Burbank: Best Little City in the USA posting.
Rod

Video 48 said...

Rod, it seems like "Make my Day!" scene, hehehe! Looks scary!

Video 48 said...

Rod, btw, how's Cynthia Zamora? One of the beautiful faces in Philippine cinema in the 50s!

Rodolfo Samonte said...

Simon,
Clint Eastwood is known for his temper...and I guess I knew this so I did not try to pursue talking to him. One incident at Warner Bros parking lot had him, getting a baseball bat and smashing the windows of a car that was parked in his space. Hahahaha, no problem for him, he's got enough money to pay for the damages.
Indeed, Cynthia Zamora was one of the beautiful faces, with Leonor Vergara, Mina Aragon, etc. She's in her 70s now I think, although she won't reveal her age to me, hahaha. She closed her antique shop, but we often run into each other at thrift shops around Burbank. Sakit pa rin niya ang mag-shopping to look for treasures, just like me, Shopaholic.
Rod

TheCoolCanadian said...

Ginoong Samonte:

Clint Eastwood may be known for his temper, but also for showing what he really feels. He comes to north Vancouver regularly because he visits her daughter (with Hollywwod actress Linda Darnell who is a north Vancouver resident).

One day, Miss Darnell's expensive house was razed by fire. Clint's daughter was able to escape, but Linda perished. Clint rushed in here and from amateur videos taken by some of the neighbors which was shown in the news, he was seen weeping unabashedly at the scene.

Well, that Clint for you: WYSIWYG.

Anonymous said...

Simon,

Napanood ko na yung Gran Torino, pero Changeling hindi pa. What can I say ? habang tumatanda, mas lalong gumagaling itong si Clint.
Pero yung mga Jazz biopics niya ki Charlie Parker (Bird), Thelonious Monk ( Straight No Chaser) eh hindi nakarating sa atin, meron ka ?

Dating bit player lang itong si Clint sa TV Western ,RAWHIDE, playing second fiddle to Gil Favor, as Rowdy Yates. Along came Sergio and location shooting in Almeria, Spain, and the rest is history.

Auggie

Video 48 said...

Wala rin akong kopya, Auggie. Kahit na sa original o pirata, di rin lumabas.

TheCoolCanadian said...

ooooooooooops!

Linda Darnell?!

I was thinking of the beautiful Miss Darnellthe much older actress. He-he.

The actress I was refereing to was Clint Eastwood's girlfriend, actress Frances Fisher.

I was watching a Linda Darnell old film and for some reason, I just keyboarded her name. Lol.

Wasn't she a looker?

TheCoolCanadian said...

Auggie:

Meron ako niyan. Matagal nang na-release iyan. Let me go down to the basement and look for it. He-he. Hindi ko matandaan kung anong format ito. Kundi VHS, DVD. Hahanapin ko't send ko sa iyo.

Meron din akong Straight No Chaser. But that one has nothing to do with Clint Eastwood. It was directed by Charlotte Zwerin.

Hayaan mo't hahalughugin ko ang mga baul ng mga pinaglumaang movies.

TheCoolCanadian said...

Auggie:

Went down to the basement and you're one lucky dude. I have both in DVD format. Si Clint pala ang producer ng Straight No Chaser. I didn't even realize it until now.

These movies are really good and I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

Rodolfo Samonte said...

JM,
I couldn't believe you said Linda Darnell, because she would have been a lot older than Clint. She's one of my favorite raven-haired beauties in the 50s, and along with Ruth Roman, Gene Tierney, Linda Crystal, and later on Debra Paget, I loved to watch these classic beauties especially in black and white or film noir.
Unfortunately, it's hard to find movies by these actresses. What Linda Darnell movie were you watching?
Let's just say Clint Eastwood is a true artist, in that he's temperamental, compassionate, creative, innovative, etc. I first saw him in a movie titled "The Magnificent Gunfighter" at the Roxan Theater in front of Galaxy on Rizal Avenue. It was so good I even went back to see it again. Years later in the US, I tried looking for that movie to no avail. Well, guess what, the actual title of the movie was "A Fistful of Dollars." Anybody remember this movie as ever been titled "The Magnificent Gunfighter.? There was one Dollar movie that Clint Eastwood made that I actually did not like: Million Dollar Baby. Maybe because it was so tragic, but it did win Oscar awards.
Rod

TheCoolCanadian said...

Rod:

There's another tragedy film made by Clint Eastwood, "Honkytonk Man". It bomb at the box office, but I loved it. Kyle, his musician son acted with him. I don't know, it is claimed that it was a fictitious story of a country singer of olden days, but if you read the bio of country singer Jimmy Rodgers (not the Jimmie Rodgers who wrote & sung CHILD OF CLAY in the late 60s), but Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933) who died of TB - The HonkyTonk Man died of the same illness as well.

I had a Linda Darnell filmfest, actually. LOL. I've rented them from an artsy-fatsy video place on 4th and Burrard here in Vancouver. These were the ones I've watched:

BLLOD & SAND (1941)
BRIGHAM YOUNG (1946)
BUFFALO BILL (1944)
A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949)
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946) - This one is so much fun.
NO WAY OUT (1950)
ANNA & THE KING OF SIAM (1946)
UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1948)
IT HAPPENED TOMORROW (1944)
ZERO HOUR (1957)

My only break was to dive into the pool for my daily exercise. He-he.

Rodolfo Samonte said...

JM,
Wowwwww, daming Linda Darnell niyan. She's so beautiful wasn't she? The face almost perfect. I may have seen a couple of those, but definitely "My Darling Clementine," the one with Victor Mature not Henry Fonda.
Yes, I am familiar with Jimmie Rodgers, in fact I have "Standing on the Corner," a compilation in two CDs of his songs. I don't think I've seen Honkytonk Man though. But that would be completely different in how Million Dollar Baby was tragic. I waited through the whole movie, and I was sure she was going to wake up, but she never did. What a bummer. Hilary Swank won her second Oscar for best actress for the title role most of which she was lying in bed in a coma.
Rod

TheCoolCanadian said...

Yeah, lying down for an extended period of time without draining yourself to emote, wasn't too shabby for an actress. He-he.

I think you should watch Honkytonk Man. Clint sung in that movie (with Marty Robbins - the guy who recorded the smash hit song DEVIL WOMAN in the 60s). Many scenes were funny, but the ending was just heart-rending.

Rodolfo Samonte said...

JM,
Available siguro ang Honkytonk Man sa aming library. I checked with them for Linda Darnell movies, mayroon silang Blood and Sand, My Darling Clementine, Mark of Zorro and another one. I have just seen Mark of Zorro actually. Wala sa listahan mo yun, a.
Rod

Rodolfo Samonte said...

JM, Simon,
Anybody seen Salo by Pasolini? There's a new DVD. Grabe daw.
Rod

Video 48 said...

seen Salo years back. I suppose maraming nadagdag na mga deleted scenes.Is it released under Criterion label?

Unknown said...

Simon,

Maraming pang gems si Clint, na hindi ko napanood or hindi nakarating dito. Example, THE GAUNTLET, sa VHS, ko na lang inabot ito. Ang poster nito si Frazetta pa ang gumawa. Yung TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA ( musical ba ito ?)si Shirley McLain si Sister Sara rito, madre kuno, pero Western ang setting. COOGAN'S BLUFF, wala akong makita sa pirata. Yung the BEGUILED, isang dark gothic tale sa deep South ang setting, during the civil war. Union Soldier dito si Clint naligaw sa isang exclusive finishing school for southern belles, na apparently mga sex-starved. Hindi magugustuhan ni Rod ito, tragic ang ending. Yung PLAY MISTY FOR ME, deejay si Clint, being stalked by a sira ulo fan na babae.

Isa pang hinahanap kung hindi nakarating dito eh yung THE BOUNTY, Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins playing Fletcher Christian & Captain Bligh respectively. Mas superior ito kesa Bounty ni Marlon Brando....


Auggie

TheCoolCanadian said...

Ginoong Samonte:

SALO was shown by Pier Paolo Passolini at the Vancouver filmfest in the 80s. Totoo ngang grabe ito. Masahol pa ito sa mga notorious na films ni Andy Warhol (Heat, Flesh, Trash - all directed by Paul Morissey). Ang hindi ko nakayanang tingnan sa pelikulang ito ni Passolini ay yung pinapakain ng feces! Give up ako sa isang ito. In fairness, brilliant filmmaker si Passolini. Halos lahat ng ginawa niya ay visually beautiful and very innovative, in fact, he became a better filmmaker than his mentor, Bernardo Bertolucci.
Passolini's genius is obvious in
Medea (Maria Callas was fabulous here), Oedipus Rex, 10001 Arabian Nights, The Decameron, etc. What a pity that up to this day, his death remained a cold case. The 18 year old accused of running him over with a car did not act alone, but it seems that the Italian politicos had swept the incident under the carpet.

Mga films nga pala ni Warhol, have you seen them all? Despite the fact that his films are full of nasty stuff that have something in them to OFFEND everyone, it is very obvious how Quentin Tarantino has adopted Warhol's style of running a scene with exchange of long dialogs (as if saying to the cast: "okay guys, keep talking. Once you get tired, we'll cut) :)

Try watching for instance, TRASH or FLESH. Then watch reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. They're almost like first cousins in visual presentation. But up to now I still wonder how actor JOE DALLESANDRO survived the amount of heroin he had injected himself on camera in TRASH. The guy is still acting in films now.

Anonymous said...

JM,

Di itong si Pasolini rin ang director ng THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW ? how does he compare with GILLO PONTECORVO ?


Auggie

TheCoolCanadian said...

Auggie:

I have seen them both, and I'd say Passolini's neo-realist version is extremely powerful. Despite its black and white cinematography, and was just shot with nothing but tripod and hand held camera, the impact is truly profound.

It didn't have the colossal approach of De Mille, yet I felt its meaning much more than that of De Mille's.

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin