Gran Torino (2008)(Minor Spoilers)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No major character deaths, or big reveals**

In Highland Park, Michigan, an angry and grumpy Korean War veteran named Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) struggles with the thought of adjusting to a lonely life after his wife’s death. Walt’s surly, old school attitude complicates a broken relationship with his alienated sons Mitch (Brian Haley) and Steve (Brian Howe), Mitch’s wife, Karen (Geraldine Hughes), Mitch’s young daughter, Ashley (Dreama Walker), and Mitch’s son, Josh (Michael E. Kurowski).

Honoring a promise from Walt’s wife, Father Janovich (Christopher Carley) tries to befriend Walt for a confession at church, but Walt rejects Father Janovich’s kind gestures. On his birthday, Mitch and Karen launch a mission to move Walt into a retirement home, but Walt vehemently refuses, and to add insult to injury, Walt forces Mitch and Karen to leave after the proposal.

Eventually, Mitch encounters a series of problems with a Hmong family next door. Thao (Bee Vang) lives with his sister, Sue (Ahney Her), and Thao is the target of his cousin Spider’s (Doua Moua) gang. Sue tries to protect Thao, but Spider and his crew are determined to force Thao into their gang as a new member, with or without Thao’s consent. After a while, Thao cracks under the peer pressure, and Thao agrees to a risky initiation test to earn his stripes. The test? Thao must sneak into Walt’s garage at night, and steal Walt’s valued treasure: A 1972 Gran Torino. But Walt surprises Thao with a rifle in the garage, and Thao escapes after a crucial mistake from Walt.

With some help from Sue, Walt agrees to a deal with Thao’s family: Thao will work under Walt’s supervision to complete numerous chores with no questions asked. As time passes, Walt forms a bond with Thao, and Walt teams up with his barber friend, Martin (John Carroll Lynch) and other friends in the neighborhood to help Thao break out of his shell.

Walt’s deteriorating health worries Sue and Thao, and to add to his list of problems, Spider and his gang are looking for revenge after a surprise attack from Walt. A nervous Father Janovich wants a peaceful resolution to the conflict, but Walt is willing to risk everything to protect Thao and Sue……….

Clint Eastwood delivers the best performance in Gran Torino, as the racist and grizzled old codger with a bad temper. At first, Eastwood is this nasty old man, who seemingly hates everyone, and Walt sticks to the codger formula with a familiar demand after a confrontation with Spider’s gang: “Get off my lawn!” That’s right. Walt actually pulls a “Those darn kids are on my lawn!” card, but the grumpy old man moment is good for a few cheap laughs.

Towards the end, Eastwood shows a softer side for the Walt character. Walt apologizes for his mistakes, and Walt embraces his role as a mentor/father figure for Thao. Walt is not an overly complex character. He’s a hard working common man, with the spirit of a scrappy fighter, who never quits, and Eastwood’s charming and charismatic performance is something to admire.

Christopher Carley takes the spot for the second best performance, and Ahney Her is decent as Sue. Bee Vang is passable as the nerdy and shy bookworm. It’s not fair to judge Brian Haley’s performance, because Haley’s screen time is limited to sporadic appearances, and you can say the same thing about Hughes and Walker.

I can’t ignore the logical plot holes during the finale, and I have a hard time buying into Spider and his gang as a ruthless and dangerous group of tough guys. Also, the final moments of the movie feel tedious at times, because predictability kicks in after Walt’s decision.

Still, Gran Torino is a satisfying drama. It’s a touching story about an old grouch, who sees the error of his ways, and Walt corrects his mistakes to be a mentor for a scared and lonely kid, who’s looking for guidance. Gran Torino is loaded with good laughs, and if you’re a fan of Clint Eastwood’s work, Gran Torino is a must-see, because Eastwood delivers a memorable performance here.

Rating: 7/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Gran Torino (2008)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

In Highland Park, Michigan, an angry and grumpy Korean War veteran named Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) struggles with the thought of adjusting to a lonely life after his wife’s death. Walt’s surly, old school attitude complicates a broken relationship with his alienated sons Mitch (Brian Haley) and Steve (Brian Howe), Mitch’s wife, Karen (Geraldine Hughes), Mitch’s young daughter, Ashley (Dreama Walker), and Mitch’s son, Josh (Michael E. Kurowski).

Honoring a promise from Walt’s wife, Father Janovich (Christopher Carley) tries to befriend Walt for a confession at church, but Walt rejects Father Janovich’s kind gestures. On his birthday, Mitch and Karen launch a mission to move Walt into a retirement home, but Walt vehemently refuses, and to add insult to injury, Walt forces Mitch and Karen to leave after the proposal.

Eventually, Mitch encounters a series of problems with a Hmong family next door. Thao (Bee Vang) lives with his sister, Sue (Ahney Her), and Thao is the target of his cousin Spider’s (Doua Moua) gang. Sue tries to protect Thao, but Spider and his crew are determined to force Thao into their gang as a new member, with or without Thao’s consent. After a while, Thao cracks under the peer pressure, and Thao agrees to a risky initiation test to earn his stripes. The test? Thao must sneak into Walt’s garage at night, and steal Walt’s valued treasure: A 1972 Gran Torino. But Walt surprises Thao with a rifle in the garage, and Thao escapes after a crucial mistake from Walt.

With some help from Sue, Walt agrees to a deal with Thao’s family: Thao will work under Walt’s supervision to complete numerous chores with no questions asked. As time passes, Walt forms a bond with Thao, and Walt teams up with his barber friend, Martin (John Carroll Lynch) and other friends in the neighborhood to help Thao break out of his shell.

Walt’s deteriorating health worries Sue and Thao, and to add to his list of problems, Spider and his gang are looking for revenge after a surprise attack from Walt. A nervous Father Janovich wants a peaceful resolution to the conflict, but Walt is willing to risk everything to protect Thao and Sue……….

Clint Eastwood delivers the best performance in Gran Torino, as the racist and grizzled old codger with a bad temper. At first, Eastwood is this nasty old man, who seemingly hates everyone, and Walt sticks to the codger formula with a familiar demand after a confrontation with Spider’s gang: “Get off my lawn!” That’s right. Walt actually pulls a “Those darn kids are on my lawn!” card, but the grumpy old man moment is good for a few cheap laughs.

Towards the end, Eastwood shows a softer side for the Walt character. Walt apologizes for his mistakes, and Walt embraces his role as a mentor/father figure for Thao. Walt is not an overly complex character. He’s a hard working common man, with the spirit of a scrappy fighter, who never quits, and Eastwood’s charming and charismatic performance is something to admire.

Christopher Carley takes the spot for the second best performance, and Ahney Her is decent as Sue. Bee Vang is passable as the nerdy and shy bookworm. It’s not fair to judge Brian Haley’s performance, because Haley’s screen time is limited to sporadic appearances, and you can say the same thing about Hughes and Walker.

Walt’s master plan to eliminate Spider and his gang? A final showdown at the gang’s house.  One day, Thao was the victim of an ambush from Spider and his gang. Walt retaliated with a nasty beating for one of the gang members, but Spider and his gang delivered another crushing blow with a drive-by shooting on Walt’s home and Thao’s home. After the shooting, the gang captures and rapes Sue.

An enraged Walt promises vengeance, with Thao playing the role of his partner in the assault on Spider’s gang. But Walt tricks Thao during a meeting at his house. Walt locks Thao in the basement to protect him, because Walt is trying to spare Thao a lifetime of haunting memories for taking another man’s life.

During the confrontation at the gang’s house, Walt (with a cigarette in his mouth) slowly reaches into his jacket. Walt quickly removes his hand, and the gang murders Walt with a series of gunshots. Walt never had a gun inside his jacket. Instead, Walt pulled out a lighter, because he wanted the gang to believe he had a gun. The gang opens fire on a defenseless old man, eye witnesses in the neighborhood help the police with their statements, and Spider and his entire gang are arrested for murder. After Walt’s funeral, Thao receives the Gran Torino as a gift during the reading for Walt’s will.

I get the point of Walt sacrificing himself during the confrontation with Spider and his gang. Walt had to protect Thao, because Thao was dead set on bloody revenge with no questions asked. On top of that, Walt’s time was running out. Throughout the movie, Walt has trouble with a bad cough, and towards the end, Walt coughs up blood. So Walt was ready to go, he wanted to go out on his own terms, and save Thao and Sue from Spider and his group of thugs.

BUT I have a few problems with the finale. First of all, the foreshadowing is too obvious. Walt gives Martin twenty dollars for a haircut (the regular haircut is ten dollars) and a straight razor shave, Walt leaves his dog at Thao and Sue’s house, Walt shares a polite phone conversation with Mitch, and I can‘t forget about Walt‘s “I finish things, that‘s what I do“ speech for Thao. The constant farewell signs kill any chances for an unpredictable ending, because after the drive-by shooting, you know Walt’s death is coming, and it’s coming soon.

Also, what about the police? Nobody reports the drive-by shooting, and on top of that, no one reports Sue’s rape? And I’m not buying into the intimidating gang as the sole reason for a lack of cooperation with the police. Intimidating? Please. Spider and his gang look like a bunch of high school dropouts, who spend most of their time riding around, while “playing” the role of a tough guy. In the end, they’re just wannabes/posers.

Although, I’ll give a few bonus points for the hilarity during the reading for Walt’s will. There’s a twinkle in Ashley’s eye (and you can say the same thing about Karen), because she’s 100% sure she’ll receive the Gran Torino as a gift from Walt. When the lawyer announces Thao as the recipient for the Gran Torino, you can see the looks of shock and devastation on Ashley and Karen’s faces.

It’s a hilarious moment, because Ashley was foaming at the mouth for her long awaited (Ashley asked Walt about the Gran Torino after the funeral at the beginning) chance to drive the Gran Torino. After Walt’s death, owning the Gran Torino was a surefire deal for Ashley, because she didn’t know about the relationship with Thao. But the lawyer pulled the rug out from underneath her at the last second, and the “You gotta be kidding me?!?!” looks on Karen and Ashley’s faces are just priceless.

I can’t ignore the logical plot holes during the finale, and I have a hard time buying into Spider and his gang as a ruthless and dangerous group of tough guys. Also, the final moments of the movie feel tedious at times, because predictability kicks in after Walt’s decision.

Still, Gran Torino is a satisfying drama. It’s a touching story about an old grouch, who sees the error of his ways, and Walt corrects his mistakes to be a mentor for a scared and lonely kid, who’s looking for guidance. Gran Torino is loaded with good laughs, and if you’re a fan of Clint Eastwood’s work, Gran Torino is a must-see, because Eastwood delivers a memorable performance here.

Rating: 7/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Gothika (2003)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No major reveals or big twists.**

Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is a dedicated psychiatrist, and she’s trying to help a troubled patient. Chloe (Penelope Cruz) pleads her case to Miranda, but Miranda dismisses accusations of rape within the hospital as paranoia from Chloe’s mental illness.

At the same mental hospital, Miranda works with her boss and  husband, Dr. Douglas Grey (Charles S. Dutton), another psychiatrist named Pete Graham (Robert Downey, Jr.), and Phil Parsons (Bernard Hill). During a stormy night, Doug’s best friend and the town Sheriff, Sheriff Ryan (John Carroll Lynch) instructs Miranda to take a detour on the routine trip home to avoid a dangerous sinkhole.

On the back roads, Miranda spots a petrified girl standing in the middle of the street. Miranda tries to help, but the girl catches fire out of nowhere. The flames engulf Miranda after the girl touches her, and Miranda is the victim of an unexpected blackout.

Miranda awakes in the mental hospital, but she’s not a doctor anymore. Miranda is wearing a hospital gown, and she’s locked in her cell as a patient. Confused and desperate for answers, Miranda learns the reasons for her imprisonment from Pete: Doug was murdered on the night of the storm, and Miranda is the prime suspect.

As a patient, Miranda is forced to rely on Chloe and Pete as allies, and Chloe’s stories about a mysterious attacker could lead Miranda in the right direction, and give her the answers she‘s looking for. And a bitter Sheriff Ryan won’t stop until he punishes Doug’s killer. Phil takes control of the mental hospital after Doug’s death, and Miranda tries to learn more about the girl in flames. Is Miranda a cold-blooded killer, who snapped and murdered her husband? Or is Miranda the victim of an uncontrollable and deadly demonic possession?

Halle Berry delivers the best performance as Miranda Grey. Miranda Grey is a broken and confused woman, who’s struggling to find some solace in her life after an unspeakable tragedy. Berry is head and shoulders above everyone else in this cast, as the rattled widow, who’s determined to uncover the truth, and Berry will convince you to believe in Miranda’s side of the story.

Penelope Cruz provides the second best performance in this cast, as the unhinged victim with a quirky sense of humor. Robert Downey, Jr. is decent enough as Pete, and it’s not fair to judge Charles S. Dutton’s performance as Doug. Doug has ONE scene within the first ten minutes of the movie. After that, Doug’s appearances are limited to sporadic flashbacks, and that’s it. And John Carroll Lynch is harmless as Sheriff Ryan. You’ll see his true colors during the finale (more on that later), and there’s a scene, where Sheriff Ryan loses his cool during a tense Q & A session with Miranda, but one outburst isn’t something to brag about.

Gothika is far from perfect. The preposterous stuff, and the plot holes will annoy most people, and Gothika has an infamous legacy as a panned turkey. But I guess I’m in the small crowd of twenty people, who actually enjoy Gothika.

Yeah, I know it’s loaded with problems, but Gothika features an intriguing murder mystery, and the constant twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end. Who’s the culprit? Is it Pete? Chloe? Or is Miranda a ruthless murderer, who waited for the right moment to unleash her rage on Doug? The answers to Miranda’s questions aren’t so easy to figure out, because Gothika constantly shifts the spotlight to different suspects throughout the movie. Plus, Gothika doesn’t rely on tons of blood and gore to get the job done, and that’s a refreshing change for mainstream R-rated horror films.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Gothika (2003)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is a dedicated psychiatrist, and she’s trying to help a troubled patient. Chloe (Penelope Cruz) pleads her case to Miranda, but Miranda dismisses accusations of rape within the hospital as paranoia from Chloe’s mental illness.

At the same mental hospital, Miranda works with her boss and  husband, Dr. Douglas Grey (Charles S. Dutton), another psychiatrist named Pete Graham (Robert Downey, Jr.), and Phil Parsons (Bernard Hill). During a stormy night, Doug’s best friend and the town Sheriff, Sheriff Ryan (John Carroll Lynch) instructs Miranda to take a detour on the routine trip home to avoid a dangerous sinkhole.

On the back roads, Miranda spots a petrified girl standing in the middle of the street. Miranda tries to help, but the girl catches fire out of nowhere. The flames engulf Miranda after the girl touches her, and Miranda is the victim of an unexpected blackout.

Miranda awakes in the mental hospital, but she’s not a doctor anymore. Miranda is wearing a hospital gown, and she’s locked in her cell as a patient. Confused and desperate for answers, Miranda learns the reasons for her imprisonment from Pete: Doug was murdered on the night of the storm, and Miranda is the prime suspect.

As a patient, Miranda is forced to rely on Chloe and Pete as allies, and Chloe’s stories about a mysterious attacker could lead Miranda in the right direction, and give her the answers she‘s looking for. And a bitter Sheriff Ryan won’t stop until he punishes Doug’s killer. Phil takes control of the mental hospital after Doug’s death, and Miranda tries to learn more about the girl in flames. Is Miranda a cold-blooded killer, who snapped and murdered her husband? Or is Miranda the victim of an uncontrollable and deadly demonic possession?

Halle Berry delivers the best performance as Miranda Grey. Miranda Grey is a broken and confused woman, who’s struggling to find some solace in her life after an unspeakable tragedy. Berry is head and shoulders above everyone else in this cast, as the rattled widow, who’s determined to uncover the truth, and Berry will convince you to believe in Miranda’s side of the story.

Penelope Cruz provides the second best performance in this cast, as the unhinged victim with a quirky sense of humor. Robert Downey, Jr. is decent enough as Pete, and it’s not fair to judge Charles S. Dutton’s performance as Doug. Doug has ONE scene within the first ten minutes of the movie. After that, Doug’s appearances are limited to sporadic flashbacks, and that’s it. And John Carroll Lynch is harmless as Sheriff Ryan. You’ll see his true colors during the finale (more on that later), and there’s a scene, where Sheriff Ryan loses his cool during a tense Q & A session with Miranda, but one outburst isn’t something to brag about.

Who’s the girl in flames? It’s Phil’s deceased daughter, Rachel. Rachel’s death was an apparent suicide, but Miranda escapes the hospital to search for the truth. Miranda’s investigation leads her to Doug’s farmhouse in Willow Creek, Rhode Island. In a secret underground lair, Miranda discovers a torture chamber with a bed. Here, Miranda learns the truth: Rachel didn‘t commit suicide. Instead, Rachel and other young girls were Doug’s victims in a series of brutal sexual assaults and murders.

For years, Doug lived a double life kidnapping and killing young girls, and Miranda never suspected anything, because Doug embodied the persona of the perfect husband. As a ghost, Rachel used her powers to possess Miranda. Under Rachel’s influence, Miranda killed Doug.

But it’s not over yet. As a warning sign, Rachel carved “Not alone” in one of Miranda’s arms. Miranda couldn’t figure out the meaning behind this warning at first, but everything comes together towards the end. Rachel was trying to drop a hint about Doug’s partner in crime, or his disciple.

During an awkward conversation with Sheriff Ryan in her jail cell, Miranda finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together. As Doug’s best friend, Sheriff Ryan was Doug’s accomplice, and Ryan is the one, who continuously  raped Chloe, because Sheriff Ryan had easy access to the mental hospital. And Miranda used Sheriff Ryan’s tattoo of a woman in flames (Anima Sola) as a crucial clue to expose Ryan as the second killer (Miranda also spotted the tattoo during a rape involving Chloe at the hospital).

Sheriff Ryan tries to attack and kill Miranda, because she has the evidence to convict Ryan. But Rachel’s ghost shows up at the last second to help Miranda during the fight. Rachel uses her powers to burn Sheriff Ryan, and Miranda uses a gun to kill Ryan with one shot to the head. To end the movie, Miranda and Chloe embrace as free women, and Chloe thanks Miranda for her help. In return, Miranda thanks Chloe for opening her eyes.

My thoughts on the big reveals at the end? It’s a double-edged sword for a few reasons. Yes, BOTH reveals are genuinely shocking. First, Miranda unknowingly wanders into this dungeon of horrors to learn about the other side of her husband’s double-life, and Berry did a job of selling the surprise with this horrified and shocked look on her face.

The Sheriff Ryan reveal was executed to perfection. Miranda and Ryan are just sitting together, and they’re having this casual chat. But Miranda uses her skills as a  psychiatrist to analyze Ryan’s personality, and in a matter of moments, Miranda realizes Ryan is the disciple. It’s a good swerve, because one minute you get the impression Miranda and Ryan are one step closer to solving the mystery of the second killer together. But Miranda is forced to fight off a crazed Sheriff Ryan after his confession.

The bad side? Two big plot holes. Okay, so if Rachel uses her powers to burn Ryan alive, then why did she possess Miranda, and force her to kill Doug? When you stop and think about it, possessing Miranda was unnecessary, because Rachel had the power to kill Doug AND Sheriff Ryan by herself with no help.

Also, I’m supposed to believe NOBODY at the hospital notices the town Sheriff, who removes his shirt to reveal the big tattoo on his chest, and his suspicious behavior? You know, the guy, who constantly “sneaks” in and out of the hospital on a weekly basis. Seriously? Sorry, but Gothika opens the gap in logic problems, when they show off the complex security system.

Gothika is far from perfect. The preposterous stuff (i.e. Miranda’s escape from the hospital) and the plot holes will annoy most people, and Gothika has an infamous legacy as a panned turkey. But I guess I’m in the small crowd of twenty people, who actually enjoy Gothika.

Yeah, I know it’s loaded with problems, but Gothika features an intriguing murder mystery, and the constant twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end. Who’s the culprit? Is it Pete? Chloe? Or is Miranda a ruthless murderer, who waited for the right moment to unleash her rage on Doug? The answers to Miranda’s questions aren’t so easy to figure out, because Gothika constantly shifts the spotlight to different suspects throughout the movie.

Plus, Gothika doesn’t rely on tons of blood and gore to get the job done, and that’s a refreshing change for mainstream R-rated horror films. During a flashback, Miranda relives Doug’s murder, and you can see Doug’s bloody legs twisted behind him, but it‘s a quick shot, so you barely see anything. And when she returns to the house, Miranda has a vision of herself sitting in a bathtub full of blood, but that’s it, because you won’t see anything too gross or extreme in Gothika.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1