THE movie-reviewing HIATUS IS OVER!!!!!!!!
Million Dollar Baby
Director: Clint Eastwood. Writer: Paul Haggis. Based on stories from Rope Burns by F. X. Toole. Cast: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman. Running time: 135 minutes. Rated PG-13, for violence, some disturbing images, thematic material and language). A Warner Bros. release.
“Million Dollar Baby” is an example of artists and professionals putting everything they have in their craft and succeeding. This is not only one of the best films to be released in 2004, but I can safely say that we will call this one of the finest of the decade.
When Clint Eastwood made “Mystic River” I was impressed but not bowled over like everyone else on the planet. Personally, I felt the film was a bit overrated as I felt that there was something missing despite the useful talents of Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins.
Despite some minor complaints, “Million Dollar Baby” is almost a masterpiece. The argument whether it’s a great boxing movie or a great film about boxing is a waste of time. This is a film that thrives on its originality and performances that are so emotionally raw yet they are perfectly understated. Even the almost throwback look of “Million Dollar Baby” gives the movie a long-lasting quality.
Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are the perfect duo as their banter provides some of the movie’s more upbeat moments. Eastwood’s character, Frankie Dunn, is the owner of a gym that’s so run-down and dirty looking you can almost taste the sweat and dirt. A trainer as well, Frankie was also the manager to Eddie “Scrap” Dupris (Freeman) who also runs the gym and lives there as well.
Frankie is a character full of regret and has an enormous chip on his shoulder. It’s been years since he’s talked to his daughter, spends his time reading Yates or studying Gaelic and manages to stop by church to offend the young priest. We know there’s something more to Frankie than what we know, but we’re nicely distracted by Eastwood since he’s so perfect playing grizzled.
Much of that regret lies with “Scrap,” who spends his time playing the wise sage to the young boxers in the gym. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Once again, Morgan Freeman plays the voice of reason which he has perfected in the last ten plus years. Heck, he even does the narration much in the way of 1994’s “The Shawshank Redemption” where he offers lines so well-written they send chills down your spine. Even though I noticed it, I didn’t care because it worked.
Then there’s Maggie Fitzgerald, who not only joins Frankie’s gym but wants to be a boxer. Of course, old-school natured Frankie thinks that women boxers are just a freak show act and would never manage them much less participate in the training process.
At the age of 30, Maggie is too old to even compete but to her it’s the only thing that matters. She’s been waitressing since she was 13 years old, her family is cruel to her and her only other option in life is to “go back home and buy a used trailer and get a deep fryer and some Oreos."
Since winning the Oscar for Best Actress in 1999’s “Boys Don’t Cry,” Hillary Swank has appeared in forgettable films that would take advantage of her raw talent. As Maggie, Swank has now another monumental role in her belt. While Swank has the determination to project her self as a physically credible fighter, her performance is excellent as it’s full of intensity and desperation.
Frankie finally gives in to training Maggie due to her not taking no for an answer and some help from “Scrap.” It’s at that point where I’ll stop ranting and raving because sooner or later I’ll spoil the whole film for you. Yes, there’s the whole “twist” that many are talking about but its not a gimmick that we as an audience has been used to seeing over the years. The turn “Million Dollar Baby” takes is important and, forgive me for the pun, a dramatic knockout.
The thing about it is that Eastwood never plays it over the top. There’s no Frank Capra- like attempt to force the audience to cry buckets of tears and there’s no scene that blatantly screams “FOR YOUR OSCAR CONSIDERATION.” Everything seems to be in the right tone even though I found Maggie’s family to be almost cartoon-like.
Everything about “Million Dollar Baby” is perfect. The performances, the script that seems simple but poetic at the same time and the brilliant direction by Eastwood. This is his 25th film as a director and at his age (he’ll be 75 this year) he shows no signs of slowing down. And when they do a career retrospective on Eastwood, I guarantee you that “Million Dollar Baby” will be one of the first films they will mention.
Overall score: @@@@ ½ (out of five)