Oh Baby what a film!

Rating: 9/10 (2 February 2005)

"Million Dollar Baby" is a film about fighting, both physical and otherwise, that traces the story of three diverse yet connected characters. Eastwood, who also directs, stars as Frankie, an aged boxing trainer and gym owner. Morgan Freeman, who narrates the film, plays his right hand man and friend, Scrap. And Hilary Swank joins in as Maggie, a young lady eager to learn the sport. Expectedly the story follows Maggie's boxing journey, and perhaps more importantly, Frankie's relationships with Scrap, Maggie, and an unseen daughter, as they each deal with the powerful themes of loyalty, forgiveness, and love.
Watching "Million Dollar Baby" is ridiculously enjoyable for a drama, the cinematic equivalent of cruising the spectacular Pacific Coast Highway with the wind whipping through your hair. The pace is steady and deliberate, like much of Eastwood's directorial work, but far from slow. And the scenery...oh, the scenery. Eastwood and Freeman, in roles similar to the screen image that each has cultivated over the years, are simply magnificent. How many actors can enrapture an audience with a discussion of socks? Or bleach? With their commanding presences, easy dialogue, and evident listening capacities, the pair presents a clinic in portraying old friends. Impressively, Swank fits right in with the two veterans. Sporting an impish smile and dogged determination, she expresses a proud humility that remains strong while reflecting her character's rough background. The ability to see great actors working brilliantly with great material is why many people go to the movies, and all three stars are worth the price of admission to observe, fully worthy of their Oscar nominations, as their interactions result in a picture that remains fully engaging without zooming from scene to scene.
The beautiful simplicity of everything is captivating as well. Much like last year's "Mystic River", Eastwood's ever steady hand guides the entire picture. The cinematography of Tom Stern ("River") is striking but not overwhelming, framing images perfectly and using slow movements to enhance the drama. His muted color scheme of blues, grays, and greens creates and matches the mood, and makes the occasional flashes of color all the more vibrant.
Also like "River", "Baby" is accompanied by Eastwood's own simple yet elegant theme, on both classical guitar and piano, which accentuates the powerful emotion of the film. Baby lacks the palpable emotion of River, replacing it instead with drama that bubbles beneath the veneer of the boxing theme, and springs to life during the quiet in-between scenes that make the film great. On the sports movie spectrum, "Baby" sits somewhere between the pure sporting nature of "Rocky" and the sports-tinged drama of "Raging Bull". The boxing storyline is not unfamiliar, but the high technical value makes it seem fresh and original.
Just when the course of the story seems apparent, in the final half hour the road of "Baby" takes a dramatic hairpin turn, as the tone is drastically altered, nearly sending the audience into the ditch. The change throws the car out of alignment and disrupts the ride, but once things settle down, one can look back and see how brave a cinematic decision was made in choosing such a path. The end result is a a different course that culminates in a major moral dilemma, one that the film answers without preaching or diving into the issues of such a decision. In fact, "Baby" doesn't even pretend to solve the problem, merely presenting the chosen option. Aside from that potential moral controversy, the only problem with the film is the precarious portrayal of the church, which is questionable at best and sacrilegious at worst, although the referenced flaws certainly do exist in the real world.
Freeman's narration alone merits a recommendation for "Million Dollar Baby". But add the astonishing performances both in front of and behind the camera, and the aggregate is one of the best dramas in recent years, strong enough to present an extraneous story arc as touching instead of superfluous.
Bottom Line: This is quite possibly the best film of 2004. 9 of 10.