Love Stories !

Rating: 8/10 (24 May 2010)

This is a million dollar story. Amazing how this film looks simple while being deep. At first, I thought it was Rocky meets My Fair Lady, but I was wrong. It's not a Hollywood dream. It's rather a dream to make such a film in Hollywood of today.
Look how it braids many lovely feelings together. There is a father to daughter love (Eastwood - a father without a daughter - to Swank), a daughter to father love (Swank - who lost her father early - to Eastwood), and a friend to friend love (Eastwood to Freeman, not forgiving himself for feeling responsible for the lost of the last's eye), and Freeman to Eastwood (giving the truth that the last desperately needed at the end, summarizing the hard situation smartly within the speech of "I didn't have my chance").
However, to some extent, I couldn't quite understand the character of (Danger), the semi-mentally handicapped kid, who doesn't get any tired of dreaming the impossible dream. Maybe he symbolized the stubbornness of the title's character, the incapacity yet the survival's power of Freeman, and the need to be loved of Eastwood; it's obvious that (Danger) insists to go to the gym to belong, and feel that there are people to help him, even if help him dreaming.
The directing didn't try to be pedant. The old fox Eastwood, who by the way becomes a better director as he ages, understood earlier that this is a story to be told by the least tricks. And how it's originally built on the basis of acting. So he led the whole thing so calmly and romantically. The pace is basically acute but significant, sad yet no mourner; simply similar to Eastwood's character. The cinematography is so expressive; notice how the areas of white decrease along the way, till they nearly end, paralleling with the state of pain and losing life. I especially loved the moment of the deal's handshake between the 2 leads; the lighting around them was like emanating dawn, or a full moon in the dark of the night. The final outcome is what deserves to be called literally: an instant classic.
As for the problems, I didn't like the performance of Eastwood the actor. I don't know whether it was his busyness in front and behind the camera in the same time?, or his old school of acting where the star's stardom leads and rules? Both ways, while being a high point of his career as an actor, his performance here looked the least capable amongst the ones delivered by these 2 great actors who he directed.
Then, it's the spoken narration of Freeman's character. Firstly, I don't think that that poor, not well cultured, ex-boxer (Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris) has these literary abilities, or these awfully sentimental expressions, being a F. Scott Fitzgerald-ish for most of the time. And secondly, that very narration seemed kind of superfluous, where the film was better without it; as if it was added after the whole thing was complete, to lighten some of its tragic taste. Moreover, the reason why Eastwood's daughter behaved the way that we saw was vogue; that wasn't for the sake of anything.
And finally, Eastwood's music score for the main theme was so similar to "Kate's Theme" which's another score that he wrote, however for his previous movie (Absolute Power - 1997). Although both mirror a sensitive feeling of love from father to his daughter, but whenever this one is played we refer to that other movie.
Anyway, I always say that Eastwood's cinema is mostly about the same theme all along: having a second chance. Here, it can't be more clear. We watched a father who got a second chance to have the daughter who he wants, a friend who lost life with lots of money, but got another with a friend who loves him, and a girl who got a second father who loves her, even if that meant killing her. The film showcases all of that in a bittersweet way. It feels like a very good novel, in which I explore the inside of the characters, sense their humanity, while enjoying every detail, and not feeling any bore.
Looking simple while being deep is what genius is all about. When it comes to that matter, (Million Dollar Baby) is no exception.