The best movie that the Oscars ignored this past year has got to be Gran Torino.
Rumored to be Clint Eastwood's final movie (he himself stated it will be his last acting), it will stand as a fantastic swan song.
Watching an old man lost in a world where he feels alone and ostracized is more interesting than many of the other films that are up for big awards.
Throughout the movie, Eastwood's performance as Walt Kowalski, a recent widower and veteran of the Korean War, is as touching as it is amusing. He goes from crotchety old racist to father figure for a young Hmong neighbor struggling to fit in to his own community.
Not giving away too much, the ending is as powerful an ending as I've seen in a long, long time. A profoundly touching final scene for the character and one of the most iconic actors of all time.
It really seems like a crime that Gran Torino got ignored by the Oscars, but awards don't always go to the best performers or movies.
The only drawbacks in the movie are a few weak scenes involving an old man punching stuff and some less-than-stellar performances from the supporting cast.
Gran Torino gets a B+.
--John Berry, online editor--