Worth More Than A Million

Rating: Null/10 (1 January 2005)

Excellent, excellent. One of the aspects of this film I appreciate the most is that Eastwood and Freeman portray old men as they are. Not stereotypical, not for laughs (even though there are some amusing moments), but as real flesh-and-blood men with opinions as well as regrets. Being an amateur boxer myself, I could totally relate to the love of the sport that Swank's character had. The interactions between the three main characters are letter perfect. Never has Eastwood played such an emotional character, and Freeman is great as his closest friend and Greek chorus for the story. Swank has the right amount of toughness and vulnerability. There are a lot of moments where the characters are filmed in shadows, to emphasize the isolation they often feel. It also emphasizes their isolation from the world at large; the three are part of a sport that is seldom given any time in the press. Swank's character is further on the outs because she is a female trying to gain respect in a male-dominated sport. Eastwood and Swank's father/daughter relationship is the glue that pushes this film along.