Gran Torino - Dirty Harry meets Victor Meldrew filmed in 'The Hood'
But with good acting, a decent script and the golden touch of Clint Eastwood's directing the combination works.
The drama revolves around Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) an ageing Korean War vet and his hatred of all the 'Blacks, Gooks and Chinks' invading his neighbourhood.
Spending his days sitting on his porch daydreaming about gunning down everyone in sight ,(including his sons) Walt's only joy is his prized American Gran Torino muscle car which he keeps under lock and key.
Eastwood shines as the racist bigot who refuses to move from his home despite the ever changing landscape and ethnic grouping.
There is subtle but very funny comedic in Clint's performance which incorporates elements of Dirty Harry with the blatant misery of One Foot In The Grave's Victor Meldrew.
The story shifts when teenage neighbour Thao is bullied into trying to steal his car as part of a gang initiation.
Walt is forced to learn about another families struggles whilst trying to grapple with the world around him following the loss of his wife.
Despite forming an unlikely bond with the boy, loving him in a surrogate father type of way, Walt still cannot control his bigoted outbursts which become less shocking and more lovable as the film moves on.
Having grown estranged from his family and the church, Walt is clearly fighting inner demons which are eased by the friendships forming with his once hated neighbours.
Realising he has more in common with 'these gooks' than he does with his own family, Walt becomes involved in their troubles which leads to a twisted dramatic finale.
Written by Nick Schenk, the film is set in modern-day Detroit, although the desert looking suburban backdrop could be fitting for any day within the last 20 years.
The film is well acted, well scripted and will appeal to nearly ever film lover. It takes you on a rollercoaster of every emotion and cements Eastwood as one of Hollywood's hottest directors.
Despite his age Eastwood still has a massive presence on screen which hopefully will continue for quite a few more films to come.
Put the film in the same bracket as: Boyz n the Hood, America History X, Grumpy Old Men, Garden State.
Rating: A good watch 8 out of 10
Amina, wolverhampton around 2 years, 10 months ago