Clint Eastwood has said this excellent character study is his swan song to acting, but his fans undoubtedly hope otherwise. Also reaffirming his economical style as a director here, he plays a bigoted Korean War veteran whose psyche gets altered after his prized car is targeted by a young Asian neighbor (Bee Vang).

In an age when so many stars are image-conscious, this is a typically brave, ultimately powerful effort by Eastwood; his son Kyle worked on the film's score.

DVD extras: two "making-of" documentaries. **** (R: P, V) (Also on Blu-ray)

Buy 'Gran Torino' on DVD