According to the old man In my own words, this movie tells the story of an old man in the last century in the 21st century. And when this story was just completed by the rookie screenwriter Dave Johannson, it is estimated that he would only think of Eastwood as a protagonist who can complete the task well: proud, cold, digging, and having muscles that still work. ...Although the old man's Oscar nomination is not as stable as Pan or Locke, it is certain that this performance will at least be a good retirement memorial.
The story itself does not want to say too much. It is about old age life, cigarettes and alcohol, alien groups, confrontation and revenge, growth and life. There is not too much whitewashing, nor too much care for deep disclosure. It starts with calm and ends with restoring calm. The conflict in the middle and the touch at the end are the keys to the agility of the whole film, but the overall narrative is still flattening out, showing the inherent contradictions between a stubborn old man and an Asian family from different angles, quietly changing, understanding each other, until Dependence and dedication are the intention to slow down the pace.
There is a detail in the film. After Walt helped the Miao youth once, his family began to give gifts to express gratitude and asked the youth to help his grandfather work. From reluctantly accepting it, to feeling inexplicable, to politely refusing the gift, he, perhaps including us, could not understand why the Asian family regarded the return in such a way and was so willing to give. And only when the film reaches the end, Walt completes his "dedication" with a "delicate" plan designed by himself, will he and us understand such a sincere emotion. This setting not only expands the connotation of the film, but more importantly, it conveys a sincere and rare poetry.
Compared with Eastwood, who supported the entire film, the performance of the supporting actors was relatively mediocre. Most of the time, the performances of the Miao youths are obviously lacking in persuasive performances for the first male partner; the performances of priests, sons and others are also very thin. It was natural when the two Miao girls were playing against the old man.
The shortcomings in the performance have reduced the balance of the film. The changes that Walt should have due to the other party appear to be a little awkward and sudden, and the smoothness of the plot development will naturally be affected by this. However, the film as a whole is still considered the best work of the year, and it is also expected to win at the 81st Oscar.
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