Best film I have seen for a long while

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2005)

Maybe its my age, but I haven't seen a film so poignant for years. The acting is superb, the script is full of surprises.
I went to see this because I love Boxing and boxing movies. This is not a boxing movie, and Clint Eastwood is on top form both as Actor and Director. Morgan Freeman just goes from strength to strength, and Hillary Swank pulls off an acting performance that must have been both physically and emotionally demanding.
This would have been a 10 but for the simpleton character in the Gym who is not believable. Such characters exist in real life, but my experience is that Gyms never let them be ridiculed or bullied. It was also less than germain to the plot and a distraction with a highly predictable outcome.
I just wonder why I took so long to get around to seeing it.