brilliant, moving film

Rating: Null/10 (22 December 2004)

Saw Million Dollar Baby last night at a screening, marvelous storytelling, acting and drama. Eastwood dealt with issues of child abuse so powerfully in Mystic River and deals with similarly powerful issues and relationships here. His performance is terrific and Swank is probably due her 2nd Oscar, but will ironically lose to Annette Bening who has never won (Swank edged Bening in 1999). Freeman is wonderful as well.
What will be interesting how red staters deal with this movie. Critic Micheal Medved is already trying to whip up anti-Million Dollar Baby rhetoric by giving away crucial plot twists and saying that he's offended that this film is being released at Christmas. Ugh. Don't let closed minded bigots keep you away from one of the best movies of the year. You owe it to Clint who is in the midst of an amazingly productive era in a long and successful career.