What?! No Nudity?!

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2006)

I finally had an opportunity to view this incredible gem of a movie and now know what all the positive buzz was about. It's so refreshing to see a film built on story and acting actually win the Best Picture Oscar. It's even more gratifying to see Hollywood, the ultimate Land of Youth, honor a seventy-something year old director. And what a bargain. At the cost of a mere $18 million you know right up front that money wasn't thrown at it to make it more appealing to today's typically shallow movie going public. Usually the first 20 million or so goes directly into lining the pockets of some lousy, over-rated star who's supposed to supersede actual creativity in order to guarantee a decent box office crowd. I'd love to shake the hand of the gutsy Hollywood execs who green-lighted this one. Some of the best decision making Tinsletown has ever seen. No gun play, no fireballs, no CGI showboating and NO NUDITY. Not even nudity "intregal to the plot line!" and yet it actually succeeded in creatively topping every other film of 2004. How's THAT for bucking established trends? Here's to hoping that more films follow form now that there's proof that substance does mean something after all. So if you haven't yet seen "Million Dollar Baby", give it a shot. Wonderful, wonderful stuff sans all those trappings that have kept me out of first run theaters for the better part of two decades now. Sometimes they DO make'em like they used to. Enjoy!