Mildly Disappointed

Rating: 4/10 (29 January 2005)

First of all, every review on this page should check the "contains spoiler" box. It is impossible to discuss this film without giving away its essence. I thought this film was well acted and the cinematography was great. I even bought Hillary Swank as a knockout artist. I've never boxed myself but her form and her movements struck me as natural and realistic. But I didn't care for the last 1/3 of the film, really. Politically, I believe in assisted suicide but that doesn't make it interesting cinema. I never really bought that Maggie would quit on herself without a fight. Where was the determination she showed in training? This is not to say that suicide under those circumstances is weak or cowardly. Not at all. But I think you would have to go through all the steps of grieving to get there. And if you had the personality of a fighter, it would take that much longer. And I'm also annoyed that as far as we can tell, those fat lazy hillbillies were going to end up with her money anyway, which nullifies the only stand she took after that last fight. And oh yeah, she didn't lose that last fight either. That absolutely would have been a disqualification for the German girl. Maggie would have won the fight via DQ.