One of the best movies ever

Rating: 8/10 (12 February 2005)

I went to see Million dollar baby after reading raves over it. I carefully avoided reading anything that alluded to what happens in the latter part of the movie, but I knew it was going to be emotional.
This is a story of a young woman (Hilary Swank)who has nothing, but she wants to be something/somebody by learning to box. Her persistence pays off when a well known trainer (Clint Eastwood) agrees to coach her, though reluctantly. With training and hard work she becomes highly successful, and almost unbeatable. Her finances improve 'considerably'.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
The movie is told from the eyes of the trainer's assistant (Morgan Freeman). That alone gave me a hint of what was to come, but I was not prepared for the turn the movie took. I was totally overwhelmed. It was such a powerful experience that next morning I was still feeling the emotions. The acting is subtle and powerful by all three major characters. There is no melodrama, no overacting, which shows that emotions CAN be communicated with subtlety just as powerfully as with any other approaches. Eastwood deserves a lot of credit as director.
Major SPOILER ahead: There are several unanswered questions, like what happened to the boxer who injured Maggie by throwing an illegal punch? What were the legal implications? Did Maggie or Frankie or Freeman's character feel a rage over what had happened? The events in the movie are obviously devastating and these questions may actually be only minor points when it comes to developing the characters. Nothing could reverse what happened to Maggie, and what Frankie eventually did was out of love, which made it 'right' from my perspective. I am still heartbroken for these characters. This is what life is. It is not a 'feel good' movie but it is a very powerful one. It definitely deserves the best picture Oscar nomination.
The boxing gym atmosphere is created very well. The minor characters too are portrayed well. I thought the crazy guy was a bit of a nuisance in terms of the flow of the story, but again the purpose was to create an atmosphere and bring characters to life. This was done extremely well. There are touches of humor throughout, which add to the entertainment value, but this is a movie that will make you think about life, values, and our intentions.
I will probably see it again to fill in on anything I may have missed. I highly recommend this movie to anyone that appreciates drama.