Before calling Gran Tarino an endearing, incredibly funny and refreshingly un-schmaltzy film, I have to state up front that I am not at all objective when it comes to Clint Eastwood as a director. No, I simply love his movies – from Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers to the endearing Space Cowboys. There was no way I was not going to love his latest offering.

Having declared that, I can comfortably say the key to the success of Gran Tarino is the humour.

First of all, it makes you laugh. Walt Kowalsky, a retired Ford factory worker, tells it the way I wanna tell it when sitting on my porch, in old age, washing down way too many Windhoek Lights. He mutters hilarious profanities at whoever is closest and when the situation is too much for him to handle he merely utters a very effective, well-timed growl.

Secondly, it takes the “sting” out of Walt’s knee-jerk racism. Because he is funny, you end up liking him despite his prejudices. This allows the director to take the viewer beyond Walt’s prejudices and depict a more complex character.

Thirdly, the humour makes Gran Tarino very gritty. The one-liners are hardcore and authentic to Walt’s ex-soldier, gun-toting, no-nonsense character. Without them the film could have easily been boring.

What impressed me most about this film was that Eastwood did not go “Hollywood” halfway through by making Walt confess his sins, break down and become a weepy, schmaltzy Steven Spielberg character.

Well done, Clint.