A much more poignant, heartfelt Rocky

Rating: 8/10 (13 August 2006)

I absolutely hate boxing - I find it to be a truly inhumane sport (it's not even a sport; it's people inflicting maximum pain and damage on each other), and I always saw Hilary Swank as just a pair of silicone implants and a horsey smile. But I AM a sucker for films in which the characters (reluctantly) team up to accomplish a goal, whether it is a heist or winning a boxing title.
Combine this with the heartwarming, mandatory Morgan Freeman narrative of the film and I have endless affection for it. Well, not endless perhaps - but it is a well-crafted quality drama with superb acting performances and exciting boxing games. Clint Eastwood as grumpy veteran boxing trainer who reluctantly takes on Maggie (Hilary Swank) has got to be one of the most likable characters in film. There is also quite a bit of humour in the first half of the film when he begins coaching her. I love it how he is never disturbed by Maggie's stubbornness, just sort of exasperated.
The film delicately sees these two personalities juxtaposed with each other to overcome initial difficulties and in the end, develop a strong father-and-daughter like bond. It sounds corny, but it translates very well on screen and I do not remember the last time I was as engrossed in a character's struggle as I was with Maggie's, which tells me Million Dollar Baby is doing something right. Very right.
When Paul Haggis' (of the horrorshow Crash) name popped up in the end credits as screenwriter, I was quite stunned but it made sense later on - because the writing of Million Dollar Baby is very explicit and spelled-out for audiences. That said, it is not as bad as Crash. Had I known Haggis had written it, I probably would have avoided it for a while longer in fear of being met by a blinking sign over a character's head that says "THIS PERSON IS SAD" .
As far as sport-themed films go, Million Dollar Baby is a grand accomplishment that projects so much heart that I must have cried nearly all the way through the second half.
8/10