Not a knockout but a solid effort

Rating: 7/10 (27 July 2005)

In some ways Million Dollar Baby is as simple as movies get. It's a story about three people. And one of the three seems to be there really just to tell you some things you otherwise might not know about the other two. The two principals in question are aging boxing trainer Frankie Dunn, played by Clint Eastwood who also directs, and the aspiring female boxer he will soon train, Maggie Fitzgerald, played wonderfully by Hilary Swank. The only other character of any great significance, played by Morgan Freeman, is Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris. Scrap, a former boxer himself, now helps Frankie with the operation of his rather seedy boxing gym. But perhaps more importantly for the film, Scrap serves as the narrator who tells us things about Frankie and Maggie that otherwise would have taken too long to flesh out. We get to know Frankie and Maggie as much through what Scrap tells us about them as by what we see them doing ourselves.
The three main characters are brought together by boxing but it's really not a boxing movie. It's more about the life's journey of Maggie Fitzgerald and how Frankie, a man near the end of his own journey, will help her fulfill her destiny. Maggie and Frankie's unlikely partnership drives the movie forward and Swank and Eastwood each do a great job in bringing their characters to life. As the determined and somewhat naive underdog Swank shines. Very few actresses would have been able to handle the emotion and the physicality of this role. Swank absolutely nails it. Eastwood's character has a lot bubbling under the surface and initially we're not really sure if we should like this guy. But despite his initial misgivings (he is very emphatic in stating that he doesn't train girls), Maggie brings out the best in him. They have an unusual but undeniably strong bond and they go on a fascinating journey together.
The story is an intriguing one, the characters are compelling and the acting, from Swank especially, is excellent. But Million Dollar Baby seems to lack a certain energy driving the film forward. For much of the film it seems we're just biding time waiting for the inevitable climactic fight. And that climactic fight? Well, it's how shall we say, quite interesting, and certainly puts a different spin on all that has come before. Part of the charm of movies is in delivering the unexpected but I'm not sure how many will be charmed by the climactic events here. In the end, Million Dollar Baby is certainly powerful, thought-provoking and full of emotion. No all-time classic but a fine story well worth seeing.