Million Dollar Baby

Clint Eastwood is a legendary film personality. I am a great fan of his. As an actor, I had my reservations with him, but as a storyteller, I have truly inhaled him. 'Million Dollar Baby' is amongst his finest films, a superb film, that almost reaches a Landmark level!

About a hardened trainer/manager works with a determined woman in her attempt to establish herself as a boxer. 'Million Dollar Baby' begins with some humor, then it improves itself into becoming a motivational punch, but ends as a dry and depressing saga. I adored almost everything about the film, except the final 20-25 minutes. The culmination is very depressing. In fact, one just doesn't imagine it would have to end this way! But in all fairness, this one is a winner!

Eastwood's understanding to the subject is objective and that's biggest plus point. Tom Stern's Cinematography is splendid. Joel Cox's editing is razor-sharp.

In the acting department, Hilary Swank delivers a Knock-out performance. She is the life of the show. Morgan Freeman is wonderfully restrained. Eastwood's performance, is a pure of example, of apt multi-tasking. Jay Baruchel as Danger, is flawless. Anthony Mackie is his usual self. Brian F. O'Byrne is passable.

On the whole, the list of accolades this 2004 flick received is truly unprecedented. It's got a legendary tag. From this writer, Thumbs Up!

I don't know why, but I went into the theater thinking I was about to see a female Rocky Balboa kind of deal. I left the theater in a daze. Overwhelmed by the simple truth of its conclusion. My hat to Clint Eastwood. What an extraordinary career. An artist of enormous proportions so well camouflaged behind a shy smile and a charming, clumsy attitude. I remember focusing on Clint Eastwood through a very different lens after sitting through "Pale Rider" a mythological, lyrical western. Actors love him because he, clearly, doesn't lie to them, doesn't kiss their asses. He quite simply gives them room to maneuver. Even someone like Meryl Streep, felt freer and capable to stretch herself all the way to Italy under his wing. Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Jude Law, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman yes mostly men but there was also, other than Meryl Streep, Genevieve Boujold. Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney and now Hillary Swank with a performance that not even "Boys don't Cry" could predict. The film is a triumph in every department. My stomach ached from feeling. That's a compliment Mr. Eastwood. Thank you very much.

Million Dollar Baby is a movie about boxing like Braveheart is a movie about men in kilts riding horses. What it is is a movie to experience if you find yourself ever entertaining thoughts about loyalty, determination, talent, no talent, age, youth, courage, fear, fate, and the pain and joy of both living and dying.

I read reviews of Million Dollar Baby and expected to like it. Roger Ebert can be soft on movies because he is plainly a big fan, but even he does not lightly toss around the M-word, masterpiece. Yet he drops it on MDB, and justly so. The story is simple and searing. A gal (Hilary Swank) with much heart and no experience aspires to be the champion of the world. She is Rocky in a sports bra. A grizzled fight trainer-manager/gym owner (Clint Eastwood) reluctantly takes her on. His best pal and wise-man assistant (Morgan Freemna) stands alongside them, as the plot unwinds steadily, seamlessly, picking up speed, scene by scene, act after act. Eastwood and Freeman are artists at the top of their profession and they, along with the brilliant Swank, present you the very worthy lives of three people you will care about and remember. The arena is boxing, but it might as well have been boating or baking. It is a story about values and truths that far exceed sports and movies. I walked into the Lowes Lincoln Square theater last night knowing Million Dollar Baby was taking me on a ride and willing to hop aboard. What a beautiful, memorable ride it was.

It would be difficult to imagine a more perfect trio of performers the likes of Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman in their respective roles in the emotionally-charged "Million Dollar Baby."

My favorite scenes were the early sequences in which Maggie (Swank) visits the dowdy boxing gym and co-opts Eastwood's crusty boxing trainer Frankie into becoming her mentor. Along with the veteran, retired boxer Eddie, played by Freeman, the performances were as electric as the Ali shuffle.

In the overall arc of the story of "Million Dollar Baby," there were three extraneous subplots: (1) Frankie's visits to church and his talks with the priest; (2) the story of the mentally-challenged young man named Danger, who appears in the gym and is taunted by the boxers; and (3) Maggie's family members introduced in two scenes filled with such vulgarity that much of the film's hard-earned credibility was lost. Not only would the film have worked effectively without the subplots, it would have been a much better film without them.

While Eastwood's direction was superb, much credit should also go to the designers, especially the stylish work with lighting. I cannot recall a film as dimly lit as this one, and the subdued lighting contributed substantially to the characters and mood evoked in this sensitive film. The three main performances were standouts. But this film was also a very successful team effort.

Clint Eastwood always explores the darker side of human nature and the duality of man. His dark hero of Unforgiven, William Munny, tries to repent only to be thrust back into that violent world he knows so well. His regretful Frank Horrigan of In The Line Of Fire and his womanizing Steve Everett of True Crime also want redemption.

Eastwood's Frankie Dunn of Million Dollar Baby is the most conflicted, weathered, and vulnerable he's ever played. When he weeps in a darkened church it's like watching a house of cards begin to fall. This is a man whose had a regretful past and can't run away from the curve balls life has thrown at him. Frankie Dunn is like most of us where we eventually get punished for our good deeds.

The funny thing is that Million Dollar Baby is not a boxing movie despite the way it's being advertised like a female version of Rocky. Yes, Hilary Swank's Maggie trains to be a boxer under the guidance of Clint Eastwood's Frankie Dunn. Yes, Morgan Freeman is Scrap, Frankie's tough friend and ex boxer. Yes, the bulk of it takes place in a boxing gym. Yes, there are numerous boxing matches. Despite all this it's still not a boxing movie.

When you see it you'll be surprised by the utter humanity in the piece. This film runs very deep and you will care for the three main characters. Eastwood gives us something we rarely get in films today. He gives us real people.

The film is about the triumph of the human spirit, the emotional world we try to hide from that eventually sucks us all in, our compassionate hearts, and the difficult decisions we face when it comes to those we care about. It's about friendship, trust, and the bonds of the heart that are unavoidable. It is a true masterpiece.

Hilary Swank is all fire and guts as Maggie. Her intensity and commitment has guided her to another Academy Award. She knows she's poor, she accepts it, and she pushes forward despite her limitations. This is not to say she can't be hurt. We watch her eyes well up a few times and truly feel her pain despite the fact that she is as tough as they come. Morgan Freeman, who finally won a long overdue and well deserved Oscar, plays Scrap with the perfect combination of toughness and compassion. He knows the situation from every angle and his narration of the film rings true.

See this film. It deserves it's accolades because it's about real characters and it's directed with honesty, warmth, and true pain. Clint Eastwood gets better with age and his films reflect the days of real movie making. The sets are simple, the characters are complex, and the story moves in a pace closer to real life than any other director could reach. Eastwood has been called the Hemingway of Film making. You don't get more real than that. It was great seeing this natural storyteller take home his second Oscar for Best Director and Picture.