Winners are simply willing to do what losers won't

Rating: 10/10 (29 January 2005)

The above maxim is from a poster in the film's boxing gym, and its presence very cleverly and subtly pertains deeply to what transpires in this movie.
Eastwood gets everything right in this one, beginning with Morgan Freeman's eloquent (but yet never overwrought) voice being utilized as the narrative - this in itself is transcendent, immediately elevating the film to mythic heights. And Hilary Swank's Maggie - there are no words to describe what she manages to achieve in this performance, no words could ever begin to do justice to the depths of what she makes us feel. And Eastwood's turn as Frankie is equally brilliant, coming from a place of true, pure and deep understanding of the human condition and all the dark ramifications that implies.
The best thing about the film - and another one of the things that elevates it to mythic status - is how there is not one minute detail that doesn't belong; there is nothing on screen that doesn't contribute completely and utterly to the film's power - the amusing banter, for example, is not there to simply kill time or to create comic relief but rather it is intrinsic to the characters, to show their almost-unrelenting heart in the face of monumental adversity. Eastwood has matured magnificently as a director, he has made me a believer after all these years; I could not get home faster to get to IMDb and give this staggeringly heartfelt masterpiece a TEN.