Emotional Knock-Out ...

Rating: 9/10 (30 April 2013)

"Million Dollar Baby" is undoubtedly the most acclaimed movie of 2004. It has often been referred by movie critics as a cinematic come-back to a more traditional film-making, like the dark and gripping Hollywood underdog stories of the 30's and 40's, a comparison that has been made for "Rocky" in its time.
"Million Dollar Baby" is a film of a few characters that yet constitute a solid and powerful acting ensemble. But has Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman ever gave a disappointing performance? Even Hillary Swank who won the Oscar for Best Actress, is totally diluted in her role as Maggie Fitzgerald, the white trash Southern girl whose only dream in life is to become a professional boxer. 'Dream' is too vague a word, 'reason to keep faith in this world' is more appropriate. And faith is a redundant theme in the story, faith as a strong belief in life's driving forces, including ours. It's definitely an underdog story, but told with great respect to the viewers.
Like its glorious 'underdog' predecessor, "Rocky", "Million Dollar Baby" restrains all the emotions until finally imploding during a poignant and heart-breaking third act. The first ones consist on building relationships until their reason-to-exist within the story emotionally bloom. Clint Eastwood is Frankie Dunn, the hardened boxing trainer and Morgan Freeman, his assistant Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris, an ex-athlete whose dead eye symbolize other unconcealed wounds in his heart. Frankie also has demons to exorcise, and the film never tries to hide them. We understand it's about a daughter life has taken away from him, that he tries to find some meaning about God, harassing a priest with pointless questions ... that would take all their significance at the end.
It's also easy to see that Maggie would complete Frankie, that he's going to help her as much as she will. It takes time before he takes the crucial decision to train her, maybe too much time but this is the mark of a film that cares more about characters than action. It's true sometimes, we can feel some events coming, when Frankie seems reluctant to engage his most valued protégé in Heavyweight championship; we know it's a matter of time before the man leaves him. Why? Because there has to be a gap in Frankie's heart, and relationships are all about "filling gaps". That's what Balboa said about his romance with Adrian, the same goes between Frankie and Maggie, in a father-and-daughter way. There is a mystery surrounding the Gaelic nickname he'll gave to her, the translation, if not surprising, is nonetheless poignant.
That's the point, if you expect surprises, if you expect twists and new artistic licenses on the Sports genre, get ready for disappointment. "Million Dollar Baby" has the one flaw of Clint Eastwood's film: things are obvious and straight-forward, the bad guys are bad, the good ones are good. The way Maggie is treated by her opportunistic Welfare-cheating family, almost as villainous as the Big Blue Bear, is Eastwood's trademark, the depiction of a world in black and white. The film itself has a dark and shadowy atmosphere, conveying the nastiness and cruelty of a world, where the most precious moments have to keep intimate and secret. Rather than an exercise in obviousness, "Million Dollar Baby" is a film that focuses on these intimate interactions, these moments where something sacred is transmitted: a secret, a declaration, a revelation
And only Eastwood and Freeman can get away with their own clichés without ruining the film's intents. Yes, we have Morgan Freeman and his noble voice-over narration, translating into words what sometimes images can't express. Yes his gravely, deliberately monotonous voice, has a hypnotizing effect in our ears. Yes, Eastwood is groaning, grumpy character. Yes, the comparison with "The Shawshank Redemption" is inevitable, and it's impossible not to laugh sometimes at Eastwood's bad moods. But "Million Dollar Baby" has to be judged in its entirety, if you feel manipulated, ask yourself about the movie's pay-off, what does it speak to you? What does it say about life, about dreams? Sentimentality is one thing, but movie-making is an art-form whose merit can only be judged on its capacity to inspire emotions. And emotionally, the ending is satisfying.
I feel like I would spoil the film if I go further in this review. I don't want to reveal the events that constitute the final third act, although the film's ranking among one of the greatest tear-jerker give enough hints not to expect a happy ending. But again, it's not about happiness, but about people meeting each other, and filling each other's gaps. It flirts with some obviousness, but to be sincere, I never felt it forced or stereotypical. I wish I could be smart and cynical enough to dismiss the film, and label it as propaganda, manipulation and dangerous influence, but the fact is that the three performance touched my heart. I understand the criticism, I even understand the hatred, but the film deeply moved me.
The 'obviousness' is precisely what critics refer as renaissance of Hollywood tradition. Maybe in this era where psychological thrillers and non-linear narrative are overused by new talents, a movie like "Million Dollar Baby" that doesn't care about subtlety and nuance yet cares to tell a gripping and powerful story about three people, maybe this is the refreshment cinema asked for. And the fluid directing, the shadowy cinematography, the patient editing and the acting, contribute to a powerful movie, showing people evolving with time, people with dreams and hopes.
Reviewing a film is a matter of genuine feelings and sincerity; I would be lying to myself if I started to criticize it for the sake of it. If I did, no matter how clever and hip I would sound, I wouldn't dare to review other movies. In all sincerity, I loved "Million Dollar Baby" and it's indeed one of Clint Eastwood's best works.