An absolutely excellent example of filmcraft . . . engaging on so many levels

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2011)

This film really surprised me, in that I am not a "boxing movie" type at all, not even remotely, and in general not particularly interested in the sports / boxing saga type of genre'.
But in this piece, the character development, the way that the various threads of lives and story are woven together into a compelling tapestry is well crafted, and performed.
The entire piece completely transcends the usual sort of cliché' components that are so typical in other such films of the genre'.
Of course, I must confess that I could watch Hillary Swank in almost anything, but here she really delivers a performance that may be her best yet . . . and I've seen almost all of her work.
Clint Eastwood really has matured as a talented director, which was the other major surprising aspect of this film.
The pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly as the story becomes evermore detailed, the background of her family history and the strange (but highly believable) collection of characters in that family, and of course, Clint's character as the father searching for an answer, a resolution to a seemingly impossible personal quest.
There are no weak links or dull moments in any of this, but the ending is . . . difficult to accept, not because of a lack of credibility, but rather for the exact opposite reason, in that the hard edge of life's challenges do indeed become manifest in their own unexpected ways.
No clues beyond that will be offered here, though I will offer one parting thought for consideration.
This is one of those films that I can (and have) watch time and again, and still discover an engaging experience every time.
Rarely do I suggest a rating of 10, for any genre' of film, but in this case, I do so without the slightest hesitation.