forgive him anything

Clint Eastwood always made women weak at the knees, whether he was not acting in spaghetti westerns or making jaws drop worldwide with Unforgiven. It’s not the good looks, of course, it’s the class. The loping stride, the unflappable demeanor, the slash of a wicked grin, ever so lopsided, he’s the kind of man people want on their side to give them credibility. It’s why Angelina Jolie clung on to him for The Changeling but even Clint couldn’t stop La Jolie’s star power from ruining her acting chops, not that she has many. “I want my son, I want my son” should go down in the annals of horrific hamming. Of course, to give discredit where it’s due, why Clint thought it worthy to have a grieving mother be as cold and hard as Angelina’s character, with sharp points of inappropriate red lipstick, will forever be a mystery. But I still admire Clint. All the more after hearing him describe how he prefers to say other things rather than Action! and Cut! He’ll say instead, softly, “Ready when you are” and after the scene, “I think that will do”, or “Ok, that’s enough of that shit”. Love him.