a knockout of a drama

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2008)

Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) stars as Frankie, an emotional boxing trainer who takes a determined Maggie under his wing and trains her to compete at competitive levels.
Being a fan of Scorsese's Raging Bull and Michael Mann's Ali, I was eager to see this Oscar winning drama and was able to sit and be engaged into a slow and touching plot about the human spirit.
Eastwood leads the way as Frankie, a man with a whole lot of personal history that keeps him from making quick decisions, and gives a deserved Oscar nominated performance in his picture, which he also directs beautifully. Through the character's history, does Eastwood capitalize on bringing out the character's weaker side and he does it to perfection, though it's not Eastwood who steals the limelight.
Hilary Swank (Boys don't cry) gives an Oscar winning performance as Maggie, another character with the past casting shadows over her judgement and with the characters both having similar characteristics and interests, does a great on screen partnership start to blossom into an emotional tale.
Morgan Freeman (Shawshank Redemption) likewise receives an Oscar for his performance as Scraps. Not in the film nearly enough for viewers to get to know him, Freeman does great with what he has. Jay Baruchel plays Danger, a weak person in the mind of so many others and is emotional to watch the character on screen.
After a pretty dull opening does the film pick up as we get to know the characters more and the plot comes intriguing with personal issues the focus in this drama.
The plot is consistent once it gets going and with a strong line of personalities the viewers are thrust into their lives as they deal with personal and professional lives.
The fights are tense and interesting to watch, none more so than the final one of the film, leaving to a sad and dramatic climax.
Stronger than Ali and equally as dramatic as Raging Bull, Million Dollar Baby is one of the great boxing dramas ever made with excellent performances which show in a beautifully directed drama.