Powerful

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2005)

Frankie (Eastwood) agrees to take on a girl fighter (Swank) to make a run for the title.
To borrow a few words from the late Selma Diamond (Night Court): I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me.
I don't think I have ever been affected by a movie as this one. All good. The dialog was simply the best. And, a lot of it was funny, really good stuff.
And, get this: this was the first draft by the screen writer, Paul Haggis. Eastwood didn't want to change anything. Something, eh? I know this from watching the second DVD in the package.
Eastwood, Freeman and Swank worked nothing short of a classic. All the acting was first class. You won't forget this one. The boxing scenes were real, I believe. If not, you could have fooled me. Yes, I watched the other movies up for Best Picture and said that Million Dollar Baby better be better than good to beat this group. WOW! That is all I can say. The others, while good, never really stood a chance. You'll see.
There is only one little thing that really didn't fit. Frankie gives Maggie a robe to wear into boxing rings. The words on the back are in Greek or Gaelic. He tells her that he will tell her what the words mean when she wins the big one. She wins a number of fights leading up to the title fight wearing the robe. In today's world, those words would have been mentioned in magazines, newspapers, TV spots etc. Also, some fans might have called out the meaning too. Maybe it was just a case of Maggie wanting to hear the words from Frank. Maybe. Anyway, go see the movie and you, too, will learn what the words mean. No, you don't have to fight anyone, just pay for the ticket or the DVD rental.
As much as I liked this movie, it still did not make me a fan of women boxing. Doesn't make sense to me. But, this movie made sense and is really one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. Oh, yeah, it's not just about boxing.