A Million Dollar Experience

Rating: 7/10 (22 October 2018)

Million Dollar Baby tells a story that hits the viewer hard upon first viewing, and while that initial feeling hurts, it's one that I believe everybody should experience because this is a story that's so refreshing to see unfold before your eyes. The writing is superb and masterfully tells the story of these characters, especially Maggie, because you feel like you're legitimately living with her and watching her go along this journey filled with defeat and disappointments before she finally starts achieving everything she's ever wanted. The score also works perfectly in tandem with the writing, and the acting is fantastic from everyone involved with the film, such as actors with smaller roles like Mike Colter, to the star, Hilary Swank. Everybody does a perfect job with their respective roles and really help to build out this world of the underground boxing scene and where these characters come from.
However, this movie does have pacing issues, particularly towards the 3rd act of the film. The reason why pacing issues begin to develop towards the end is because the film is really attempting to draw out and elongate these interactions between two certain characters, which ultimately I feel like did more to hurt the emotional impact of the ending rather than help it.
With that being said, this film is absolutely worth watching for anybody who enjoys a story about triumph, perseverance, boxing, or simply just quality storytelling. Just be wary of the last 25 minutes that end up feeling like 50, but the finale of this movie will leave you in a state of disbelief. I strongly recommend this film.