Million Dollar Baby (Movie Review)

Ok, so finally I’m back posting again…hopefully you noticed I was gone. I plan to post quite often to make up for my absence. I have a bunch of movies to review and several other things I want to comment on. I’ve seen quite a few movies since my last post (surprise, surprise) but I’m going to start with a review of one I saw last week…Million Dollar Baby.

You’ve probably heard that this movie is nominated for tons of awards, including Best Picture. I do not usually like movies that are nominated for Oscars (except Lord of the Rings, of course), but I am happy to say that Million Dollar Baby is richly deserving of it’s nomination for Best Picture. Everything about this movie is amazing…the story, the acting, even the musical score. I found myself captivated by what was happening on screen, completely drawn in by the characters and the story that was unfolding. Clint Eastwood plays Frankie, a boxing trainer that runs a gym with the assistance of Scrap, portrayed by Morgan Freeman. One day Maggie (Hilary Swank) enters his life. She is the product of a trailer trash upbringing and currently makes her living as a waitress in a diner. She dreams of leaving poverty behind by succeeding as a professional boxer. Frankie has no interest in training a girl, but through charm and perseverance Maggie convinces Frankie to train her. I will not reveal what happens in the rest of the film except to say that the first part of the movie feels like a female version of Rocky, but then something occurs that swings the movie in a completely different direction. You feel like you are watching one kind of movie…but then it turns into something else entirely. And it works…very well.

I grew up watching Clint Eastwood play tough guys in Westerns and Dirty Harry, so at times it has been difficult to watch him age…especially when I first saw him with his pants pulled up to his rib cage. But I am astounded at his ability to adapt as he has grown out of his action hero past. Not only does he act in this movie, but he is also the Director and the composer of the musical score. In my opinion, all three major actors in the film should win Academy Awards for their portrayals (if Hilary Swank does not win Best Actress, an immediate investigation should be launched). Million Dollar Baby is a deeply touching movie that pulls you in and keeps you thoroughly captivated as you watch how the story unfolds. I highly recommend that you check it out. You will be seeing filmmaking at its very best.