A million dollar question

Rating: 7/10 (23 March 2005)

Million Dollar Baby... a good film? Yes. Good enough to be the year's best picture? I have my doubts. Don't think it deserves the best picture Oscar, although the best director, actress and supporting actor awards were richly deserved.
Clint Eastwood has always been an intense character, whether in his acting or in his film-making. He displays his vast directing experience and channels it out well through his own, as well as his co-stars' acting performances. Hilary Swank once again shows that she is in complete control and command of the tough characters she takes on, snagging another Oscar after Boys Don't Cry. The danger though is that she runs the risk of being typecast for such masculine roles and limits her versatility, thus restricting her from taking on other roles. To me, Morgan Freeman is the one who truly deserves his accolade. It's tough to find such a humble and well-respected actor in plastic Hollywood, and even tougher for him to put in such understated but highly influential and impressionable presence in every show he has been in. His superb touches in gems such as the Shawshank Redemption and Driving Miss Daisy alone more than makes up for the many crap films he has taken a part in.
So why is it that the film, with masterful directing and convincing performances from the actors, fail to stir up my emotions? I hope I have the answer, but even I'm stumped. It's just one of those movies that has almost everything, yet a vital 'something' is lacking and leaves you feeling not completely satisfied with it. Perhaps it's the way the show gradually ended... it could have taken a tad too long, which could have taken away much of the emotional impact it had intended to make.
Who should watch: Fans of superb acting and audiences with the patience to sit through lenghty and intense dialogue
Who shouldn't watch: Boxing fans, because there isn't really that much punching going on
Rating: 7.9