Possibly Clint's Best....

Rating: Null/10 (30 January 2005)

I went in to the theater today to see Million Dollar Baby with high expectations. After all the reviews have been great and the awards are starting to rack up for both the actors and the other people involved with this movie.
I was not disappointed. This is a great film, possibly Clint Eastwood's best work as an actor and director. Clint plays grizzled fight trainer Frankie Dunn, a ham and eggs kind of guy with a very gruff exterior. When we first meet Frankie he is carefully managing the career of a rising star boxer from the trainer's hardscrabble gym. Frankie seems to be bringing this fighter along too carefully, as there is a championship bout awaiting. Later in the film we learn the reasons Frankie is careful with his boxers.
Right at the beginning of the film we meet Maggie Fitzgerald, played brilliantly by Hilary Swank. Maggie is a very tough young woman in her early 30's. Some people might call her character "white trash" and they wouldn't be too far off of the mark. But that would only describe the superficial aspects of Maggie's character. You quickly come to appreciate Maggie's determination and grit as she hounds Frankie Dunn daily with the request to train and manage her. Frankie wants nothing to do with her initially but slowly is won over by Maggie's personality.
As all of this is going on we meet "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, a washed up old boxer and possibly Frankie's only friend. Scrap-Iron helps Frankie run his gym and is won over by Maggie a lot quicker than Frankie is. Scrap-Iron is played by the always great Morgan Freeman. Freeman deserved his Best Supporting Actor award.
Frankie agrees to train and manage Maggie and this is when the film really takes off. Frankie is, for reasons never really explained in the movie, estranged from his own daughter. Maggie becomes Frank's surrogate daughter.
Maggie starts to rise in the ranks as a boxer. It turns out that she's exceptionally gifted as a boxer. Her relationship with Frankie grows with each fight. There are virtually father and daughter and are fulfilling that emotional role for each other.
The movie takes a dramatic turn which I won't reveal in this review. The events only deepen your appreciation for the emotional integrity of all of the main characters.
What can I say about the 3 main actors in this film that hasn't already been said? Being a huge Clint Eastwood fan I am immensely satisfied to see him finally getting the respect for both his acting and directing skills from his peers, the critics and the general public. I hope that Clint continues to make films. It's great to go to a movie that is about something, has characters you care about and a real story. Hilary Swank is Maggie Fitzgerald. You never even get the impression that this great actress is acting. She was the Best Actress last year and also deserved her Oscar. I've already made my comments about Morgan Freeman.
Hey, everyone in Hollywood...You want to know how to make a great film? Put your mocha lattes down and get a primer lesson on film-making. Go see Million Dollar Baby.