It is a flawed movie, vastly overwritten, with characters pointing things out that we've long worked out for ourselves. Still, the self-referentiality of Eastwood's performance ensures that Gran Torino isn't just absorbing, but also moving.

Seeing Eastwood ward off young gangsters was odd... well, but he pulled it off enough.

Though the film feels like a requiem, Kowalski's heart is still defiantly beating.

Gran Torino is a harrowing glimpse into how, depending on the nature of one's past sins, true redemption can sometimes be fait accompli.