Not as great as I expected!

Rating: Null/10 (30 January 2005)

i went to see this film expecting it to be amazing like a lot of people say but, having seen it i would rate it as an average film.
The first problem is that the acting is so underplayed that, as an audience member, i found it hard to really feel any connection to the characters. If i had, perhaps i would have cried but i didn't, i just felt like a distanced spectator. Clint Eastwood, as a withdrawn boxing owner played his part well, the problem was just that, he was withdrawn. Realism in film is good to a point, here it was overdone.
However the film was well made and kept my attention throughout. Hilary Swanks portrayal of a gutsy boxer probably does deserve an Oscar nomination.
Overall a good film, but overrated, and there are films/actors out there far more deserving of academy awards - not that that makes a difference.