a knockout punch

Rating: 9/10 (5 February 2005)

I grew up watching Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates on "Rawhide." Who could have imagined, looking at his unlined face and watching his easygoing manner, that he would ever have developed into the filmmaker that he has? Though we should have known Clint was something special - in those days, it was nearly impossible to move from a hit TV show into films, as the typecasting was even worse than it is today. But Clint did it.
Unfortunately for me, I knew the plot and ending of this film before walking into the theater. Because of the staggered release of MDB, it was almost impossible not to. I would have liked to assess the impact not knowing the twists and turns of the plot.
That being said, I found this a beautifully-realized story about dreams, courage, and the true meaning of family.
The three principals did a tremendous job. Hillary Swank is so much more than an actress. She is able to break a role down down to its simplest elements and becomes the character. There is never anything overdone in her work. She is one of the finest actresses we have. Morgan Freeman is one of the finest actors we have. And Clint Eastwood? Well, he's just one of the finest directors we have. Congratulations, Rowdy.