Clint – we all go by first-name basis with the living legend (LL) – has perfected the ultimate grizzled angry old man with latent empathy. He long ago (even as early as the late ’70s) mastered fading masculinity and here especially he is thoroughly believable because of the asshole that he is. I’ve read many times that he goes for the ‘PC brigade’. I really don’t think he does; he’s just making movies about what he knows, the type of characters he does best, and he simply runs with his instincts as a filmmaker. He’s not exactly going to star in or direct a sequel to The Birdcage (1996).
He is extremely funny here, and the jokes don’t come from the racial slurs; it’s the fact he’s this hard-as-nails old geezer and no one in the movie either expects it nor can handle it.
“Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while who you shouldn’t have fucked with? …. That’s me.”
He’s quite hit and miss as a director, but when he stars in a film, or one of his own, it’s usually very good.
He must be pushing 100 now. He’s incredible.
Wanderings and ... wonderings. 