Gran Torino is a well-made, well-acted new film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. He plays an angry, racist veteran irritated by his neighbors and his ever-changing neighborhood. A man of few words and when he does speak, it's usually not pleasant.

Gran Torino is also a film about being forced to change as Eastwood's character befriends a neighborhood kid and fights off local gang members. On the surface Gran Torino is predictable, but underneath, and in the hands of a great director, it resonates. This is a strong performance in a good, sometimes difficult new film.

E-mail gcogill@wfaa.com.