Big Chris:I thought 'Knowing' was really good. Had to talk the Wife into watching it as it had got a few ropey reviews, but she thought it was really good too. Even had her grabbing my arm in the scary bits, which she hasn't done since 'The Ring'.
Gran Torino was good too, but a bit hard to believe the transformation, or more acurately the speed of the transformation in Clint's character.
You've got an old, curmudgeonly, xenophobic, recently widowed old geezer. I think it'll take more than a couple of weeks to turn him into Mr accepting, tolerant, and let's face it, friendly old man.
I think he was friendly enough, to people he respected (the guys at the bar, his barber, the construction site manager). He just didn't respect his family because of their lifestyles and attitudes (and you can't blame him when his son wants to stick him in a home just so he can sell the house and take the cash). He realised pretty quickly that the Hmong had more of a family and work ethic, which is what he respects. As he said himself "I've got more in common with a bunch of gooks than my own family."
And they were feeding him good food, I'd be happy enough!
I enjoyed it, wasn't entirely what I was expecting, a little lighter in tone perhaps, but if that's Clint's last performance I'm happy to accept that, it's not a life changing film, or an Oscar winner, but it was a good enjoyable film, there aren't enough of those these days.