David on 19/3/2009 at 08:30
To those who thought it was meant to be funny, how was it marketed where you are?
Over here it was marketed as a straight drama, the trailers were all 'straight' and showed a lot of guns and Eastwood in threatening poses. It's in the drama categories and everything!
There's nothing wrong with a little humour in a drama film, sure, but this was proper 'laugh out loud' stuff at the absolute over-the-topness of Eastwood's character, complete with his Marge Simpson-esque little growl of displeasure.
No one that I went with, and no one that I've spoken to since who has seen it thought it was meant to be a comedy.
Angel Dust on 19/3/2009 at 10:04
It was marketed here pretty much as a drama but watching the film it became obvious that comedy was a big part of it and the 'Marge Simpson-esque little growl of displeasure' was the first part that made me realise that. Do you seriously think Eastwood meant for this guys outrageous racism to be taken as a realistic portrayal of a racist? No, he wants you to laugh so that you sympathise with what would be a truly horrible character if treated 100% seriously which, like I said previously, was the same tactic used in 'As Good As It Gets'. I mean he says 'Get off my lawn!' in full on Dirty Harry mode for fucks sake! There is certainly some serious drama in the film, and not all of it works, but it is just as much a comedy. Eastwood is very clearly skewering one of his most famous roles in it and having a ball doing it.
Everyone I know who has seen it knows that it is supposed to be funny and certainly a lot of the reviews I've read pick up on it too.
june gloom on 19/3/2009 at 10:46
It was marketed as a drama here as well, strangely enough. It only very quickly became obvious it was meant to be funny once you got to the actual movie.
jtr7 on 19/3/2009 at 20:45
It was marketed as having a serious message, but with a clear comedic counterpoint. The trailers here had the growl and the tobacco spit-off moment. I don't understand the confusion, really. I wasn't interested in the film because it all looked like another rehash and the punks were just going to irritate me. I was encouraged to see it by a guy who's roughly the same age as Eastwood, and who was in the military, and though he's not a racist, he could really relate to being at the point in life, stressful awareness of mortality, and the conflict of love and utter disgust for family that sees him as an obstacle to material wealth. So I was able to see it with some perspective and tolerate the punk-ass crap better.
Koki on 26/3/2009 at 17:28
Ugh, the ending was paifully cheesy. Other than that, okay.
Thief13x on 26/3/2009 at 18:36
I didn't see it either (really wanted to) but me and my freinds got a good laugh from the commercial in the theatres, it does look funny.
Scots Taffer on 26/3/2009 at 23:29
Saw the trailer last night which solidly pitched at least half of the movie as a comedy of Retired Dirty Harry meets the Asians and generally hates All People then the second half moves into murkier territory with a painfully hoarse Eastwood beating some fools like its WW2 all over again.
Milk was pretty amazing though.
ercles on 26/3/2009 at 23:38
Regardless of whether or not the film was intentionally funny, it was a pretty huge failure in my books. The scenes where he teaches the kid how to talk like a man where pretty much the sole highlights.
Ulukai on 31/3/2009 at 18:35
Saw it on Sunday.
I'm gay for Eastwood, and although I'd also seen the 'dramatic' trailer, having read this thread I knew what to expect. Really funny in places, the barber's 2nd scene in particular was fantastic. But yeah, a bit cheesy at the end.
Also, this:
[spoiler]And I'd like to leave my 1972 Gran Torino to my friend Thao Vang Lor. On the condition that you don't chop-top the roof like one of those beaners, don't paint any idiotic flames on it like some white trash hillbilly, and don't put a big, gay spoiler on the rear end like you see on all the other zipperheads' cars. It just looks like hell.[/spoiler]
The part when Eastwood barks "Get Off My Lawn", girlfriend whispers in my ear: "That's you when you get old." Great.
But hey, I do that already with the local hoodies :D
AR Master on 31/3/2009 at 18:40
hmm yes a rare movie where a man acts like a man this is quite hilarious
*weeps for the environment, signs up for wymyn's studies course*
