The Good Stuff: Clint vs. Clint
Recently, E and I decided to use our much-anticipated date night to see Invictus, the new Clint Eastwood film starring Morgan Freeman. It is the story of how "Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land by enlisting the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup." [IMDB.com] We were so excited to see how this inspirational true story would play out on the big screen, but walked away utterly disappointed by the film. The movie was flat, the acting was flat. There really wasn't much inspiration. Even the clichéd placement of harmonious African music during pivotal scenes was not utilized well. We were shocked that such a talented director [Eastwood] and actors [Freeman and Matt Damon] didn't leave us feeling awed.
Last night, E and I noticed Gran Torino, another movie by Clint Eastwood, which he also starred in, was playing on tv. Neither of us had been intrigued to see this film about a "disgruntled Korean War vet who set out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal his prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino" [IMDB.com] while it was in the theatres, but with little else on, we gave it a try. We were more than pleasantly surprised! The acting was great by all, the storyline flowed and didn't leave us scratching our heads thinking, "Huh?" Now, this was a film worth seeing.
So, if you're looking to catch flick to pass the time between Christmas and New Year's, save your $13 for a theatre ticket and rent Gran Torino instead.
