Sin #70: Grumpy Old Men

Few scenes are as poignant in the movies as the early sequence in Pixar’s “Up” that begins with Carl’s marriage to Ellie and ends sourly in her funeral. Time passes and he becomes bitter as he watches the neighborhood where he grew up in become one gigantic shopping mall. Carl spends his days missing Ellie, and reminding himself that he could never take her to Venezuela where she dreamed to live one day among the jungle and vast mountains.

Carl brings closure to his relationship with Ellie at the end of “Up” (with the help of a little boy scout named Russell and a talking dog appropriately named Dug) and is truly grateful for his adventures but there are certain seniors that aren’t so lucky. Take Walt Kowalski, played by Clint Eastwood, in “Gran Torino”. After his wife’s death he becomes stuck in his old crippling home and hating the multiethnic cultures that have invaded the neighborhood (especially the Asian neighbors that seem friendly enough, although the teenagers are suffering from the gang violence and prejudice). Eastwood gets to say: “Get off my lawn” which seems to perfectly encapsulate geriatric behavior in today’s society.

“Gran Torino” isn’t one of Eastwood best movies, but it demonstrates that at 80 years old he is still one of cinema’s most important screen presences. His performance is like an anthology of the tough-as-nails screen personas he has played over the years and represents his swan song from acting (his late roles also pocked fun at his age, like in the funny “Space Cowboys”, where he shared the screen with other veteran actors like Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland).

Another showcase for an acting legend is the British film “Harry Brown” which features yet another fantastic performance from the great Michael Caine. In the movie Caine plays a retired army officer living in a slum seized by violence, drug trafficking and vandalism. His best friend has recently been murdered by one of the gangs roaming the streets and he is off on a revenge rampage that takes him deep into the dark belly of the London criminal underworld. Contrary to Walt Kowalski, Brown isn't against the use of brute force against criminals (he does what it takes to bring justice, sometimes to brutal results). Although the movie has been compared to "Gran Torino", it is grittier and more involving giving us a chilling look at the most affected areas of South London (it has a "Death Wish" kind of vibe, and it also reminded me of Jodie Foster's “The Brave One”).

These movies show us that old age isn't necessarily a time of passiveness and that it's never too late to get a hold on life and learn through others (although I certainly wouldn’t recommend going on a killing rampage). It’s refreshing to see movies that showcase seniors in the title roles since most movies seem to be made by young people and are always about young people. “Up” is such a nostalgic trip because it gives us a lifetime in a few minutes and then begins with an old man waking up, which is how most of us will end up.