Cinematic Masterpiece (SPOILERS INCLUDED)

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2005)

HILLARY SWANK! I know people (most likely people who have not even SEEN Million Dollar Baby) will try and say that Swank shouldn't take home the Oscar because a)She's won before and b)She won previously for a tomboyish type of role. I say it doesn't matter how many damn times a person wins- If that person put out the best performance of the year then they should damn well take home the prize. Swank is a woman that I think we will see standing in front of that podium SEVERAL times in her life. This role had absolutely nothing in common with her role in Boys Don't Cry, in which she played Teena Brandon, a young woman who passed herself off as a man. She deserved the Oscar that time around and from what I have seen of the other nominees, she deserves it this year again.
What Swank manages to do is play a female that has a tough as nails exterior WITHOUT coming across as not being feminine. What I saw in her character was a woman in search of love. This woman was brought up believing that she was pure D white trash and rather than following in the footsteps of her fat, greedy, welfare receiving mother, she went on to pursue her dream- Even at the age of 31 when being told she was "too old" and "not good enough." Although she was a kick ass boxer- Swank never let you see her as a fighter without first seeing her as a woman with love to give. Not romantic love- The kind of love that exists between father and daughter- Something the character had not known since her father's death.
That's where Clint comes in. For a split second you think Clint is going to play the typical Eastwood tough guy role but within minutes of the interactions between Eastwood and Freeman, we see that there is a gentler side to this character. Once he forges a bond with Swank's character and we see the letters to his daughter continually sent back, "return to sender" we really begin to see the tender side of Clint's character. There are REASONS why this man has become such a hard ass over the years and the film never lets you forget that or think for one moment that Clint's character is simply a crotchety old man. Difficult, weathered, and bitter- yes. Intentionally cruel-no. We get the feeling that part of his hesitation in training Swank's character is that he doesn't want to set her up for failure, more than wanting simply to be cruel or to crush her dreams.
I will not comment on the ending because I want you guys to go out and see this film but I will tell you that this is Clint's finest acting EVER and I hate to say that I didn't know he had this in him. Don't get me wrong- I give him major respect as a director and all around film maker. And Clint has always been great at playing the tough, renegade outlaw or cop. In Unforgiven, he let us see him from a more vulnerable standpoint but he still came out shooting in the end, giving the audience what they expect from a film starring Clint. In Million Dollar Baby, Clint completely steps away from any of the familiarities of his past roles. At one point, he breaks down in Church in front of the Priest and the raw emotion that he exudes made ME break down with him. There I was in the theater, constantly wiping tears, trying not to make a damn fool of myself. I FELT the character's pain and cried right along with Clint.
And I LOVE that they had Morgan Freeman narrate the story. Some people (Kevin Costner in Dances With Wolves, Leo DiCaprio in Gangs of New York) simply cannot narrate a film with any emotion. They sound as if they are just reading lines off a page and in the case of Dances With Wolves, the film was so great that it overshadowed the horrid narration and overall acting by Kevin Costner. Morgan once again, as he did in The Shawshank Redemption, finds the perfect balance and narrates the tale as though he were taking you, personally along for the ride. His narration is part of what makes the film feel so personal to the viewer and connects us that much deeper with the characters.
All in all, I must say this is the best film I have seen in YEARS. I would still say that Unforgiven is Clint's finest work to date, but in terms of ACTING, this was the greatest performance of his career, IMO. I am still pulling for Jamie Foxx to take home the Oscar for Best Actor (and I DO think Jamie will win) but I give Eastwood MAJOR props for his acting and I hope like hell he wins Best Director and Best Picture. I haven't seen The Aviator but I just can't imagine that it could be anywhere near as great as this cinematic Masterpiece.
It's something that I grew up watching Clint's movies all my life because of my dad but never truly came to appreciate his greatness until his later years. Beyond Dirty Harry and the spaghetti westerns, Clint Eastwood is a BRILLIANT film maker with a style all his own. I hope to see Clint, Swank, and Freeman leaving with gold in their hands come Oscar night.