Gran Torino

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

I have a confession to make. I cried after watching Gran Torino. I know, I know. It’s a Clint Eastwood movie. Who cries over Clint Eastwood?!

Well, I’m not ashamed to admit I did. In the beginning of the movie, I thought it was just another typical Clint Eastwood action film. I stayed away from the reviews, so I didn't have any idea what to expect.

Gran Torino opens with Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) burying his dead wife Dorothy. The first thing I noticed was how old Eastwood is. And if the film was gonna be like any of his Dirty Harry movies, I was kinda doubtful that he could still pull if off.

Walt was a be-medaled Korean War veteran. A grumpy old man, if I may say so. He’s the classic senior citizen who thinks he can take care of himself and still do anything. Thus, he is not too keen on getting any help from anyone. Especially not from a 20-something parish priest Fr. Janovich (Christopher Carley) who insists on keeping an eye on him. Nor his son Mitch (Brian Haley), with whom he never had a real relationship with. He’s not very happy about his neighbors either. Being a war veteran, Walt thinks that all chinky-eyed Asians are Koreans. And his old neighborhood just teems with chinky-eyed, strange-speaking Asians.

Walt’s first encounter with the “chinks” was when a young boy named Tao (Bee Vang) attempts to steal his 1972 Gran Torino. Tao is Walt’s next-door neighbor. He’s a shy boy who has sensibly stayed away from gangs. He’s a good boy actually. A traditional Asian boy who does what he is told and respects his elders. And when the grumpy, American, old school war veteran and the goody-goody Asian boy crossed paths, both their lives were never the same.

The two men figuratively rescue each other from their deepest desires to be a somebody for the other person. The old man, having been estranged from his own sons, found a son in the young Tao. He taught him things about life and love. Tao, on the other hand, found the father he never had in Walt. He learned “manly” things from the old guy like how to ask girls out, how to talk like a man, getting a job, using tools and stuff, fixing things around the house.

Despite his advanced age, and a threatening illness, Walt discovers that it is never too late to be reconciled, not only with himself, but with his faith. The phrase “love thy neighbor” has taken a new meaning for him. However, the movie did not deal with rebuilding Walt’s relationship with his family. Which was kind of sad. Although he has confessed to Fr. J how this drifting apart had been bothering him, Walt didn't’t really exert any effort in putting things right between him and his sons. Or maybe he just didn't’t know how to do it. Ina phone conversation with Mitch, both father and son found it difficult to connect. I mean, really connect.

Despite that, Walt did make a very significant impact in the life of Tao. It’s almost as if Walt was atoning for his sins by making sure he doesn’t make a mistake and mess up Tao’s life. After an unfortunate incident happens to Tao’s sister Sue (Ahney Her), Walt literally saves Tao from getting blood on his hands, and gives him a chance to have a better future. Messianic? Maybe, but Walt’s gesture was definitely symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice.

I am not going to give the ending away. I just want to say that after all the Dirty Harry Go-ahead-punk-make-my day slip-ups made by Eastwood in the past, Gran Torino has more than made up for them. ChristianityToday.com included this film in its 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2008 list. If you haven’t seen it, go find out for yourself why. It’ll be worth it.

How She Move

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Other

When I first read the title of this film, the editor/ proofreader in me was itching to get a red pencil and insert an “s” after the “e” in MOVE. But after I finished watching it, I understood why.

The film opens with young Raya (Rutina Westley) and her older sister Pam doing some dance moves. The scene was interspersed with an adult Raya dancing in a dimly lit corridor. While crying. But wait! Raya has reason to cry. Her parents had spent a great deal of money, including her private school tuition, for her sister’s rehab from substance abuse. After her sister dies, Raya has to leave the boarding school and come home. But she doesn’t plan to stay long. She wants to get into medical school and would do anything just to finish high school at the private school and get into a reputable med school later on. And by anything, she meant anything. Including racking her brains off reviewing for a high school scholarship, not to mention getting into a Steps competition where she and her crew could win $50,000.

I thought, Oh, this is just great! Another hip hop movie! But as I went deeper into the story, this Sundance Film festival nominee just slammed on my face realities such as family, education, making decisions, sacrifice and life choices.

The characters in How She Move create a colorful tapestry of stories, each intertwined with the other. Raya is a strong character who, despite the loss of her sister, tries hard to keep things under control. Well, almost. When she took the scholarship exams, Raya thought she had messed things up because she felt she wasn’t prepared enough. Not wanting to make her mother worry, Raya tells her she had aced the test. But at the back of her mind, she was already trying to figure out how she could raise enough money to send herself back to boarding school. And that’s where entering the Step Monster competition came in.

Her sister’s friend, Michelle (Tre Armstrong) looks like the typical alpha female who gets threatened by the arrival of “petit bourgeois” Raya. She has her eyes set on Bishop (Dwain Murphy), who in turn only pays attention to Raya. Bishop’s brother Quake (Brennan Gademans) looks every inch the nerd. But somewhere in the movie, he surprises even his brother with his cool moves.

As in any story, the conflict always makes the plot a lot juicier. The typical elements are there—the love triangle, the parent-child conflict, the parent-parent conflict, sibling rivalry, the competition, and of course, the conflict with the self.

Raya is at odds with almost everything—her mother, her sister’s friends, her neighborhood, her boyfriend, with society, and most especially, herself. Raya’s mother didn’t want her near the “Steps people”. These were the same people her sister used to hang out with. Naturally, Raya’s mom was convinced they brought her sister to the world of drugs, which eventually led to her death. But Raya believed otherwise. Although she had the same passion for dancing as Pam, she knew in her heart that she wouldn’t make the same choice as her sister did.

But I wouldn’t blame Raya’s mom Selia (Romina D'Ugo) for behaving that way. They were a minority in a white-dominated country, their family being immigrants from Jamaica. She had just lost a daughter, and was on the brink of losing her marriage as well. She couldn’t afford to lose her dreams for her younger daughter, too.

The fact that the highlight of the film is the dance competition makes it predictable though. Of course, Raya’s crew won. And yes, she got the guy. But what gives it a happy ending is when Raya finds out that yes, she did really ace the scholarship test. And her parents begin to treat each other as husband and wife once again.

True, life is what we make it. Every day, we are faced with choices. And the choices we make can either make or break us. The exercise of our free will is what defines us as human beings. However, scripture says that our days have been ordained for us. And no matter how many times we put this free will to reckless use, God, like a good shepherd, will painstakingly lead us back to His original plan. Until such time that we get things right.

Raya took her future into her own hands when she decided to join the contest for fear that she wouldn’t get the scholarship. But she did get it. Which means she was destined to live a life different from the one her sister chose. And providence made sure she did. She was back on track. And I’m pretty sure she’ll stay there.



*Grab a VCD copy of How She Move from your neighborhood Video City shop. They’ll let you rent it for 2 nights.

Holy Week

Start:	Apr 5, '09
End:	Apr 12, '09