Freeman, Eastwood, and Swank Shine Eternal

Rating: 10/10 (20 March 2006)

Freeman, Eastwood, and Swank create legendary performances while creating a legend - fictitious, yes, but the heart shines through.
This film is by any measure controversial. I won't include spoilers for two reasons: 1) to induce those who haven't seen this elegiac masterpiece, and 2) to let those new to the film experience the grace of humanity, and the proximity of G*d - divinity - the great beyond.
Eastwood runs a failing gym, out of heart, out of hope for his last prize fighter who has a valid chance at a title - something that Eastwood never obtained in his long career as a brilliant manager cum cut-man.
The gym is replete with lost souls, those who had a chance, those that delude a title shot, and those with hearts to small to fight for glory despite innate talent.
Swank enters the gym, tips from her waitressing job buy her time in the gym, and she has a dream of becoming the top pugilist in her division. She scraps steak from her job, she admits her heritage of growing up "white trash" - she speaks of the defeat that overcame her family - but her heart swells, and in every step, or elusive blow to the hanging bag - her heart beats victory.
Eastwood becomes her reluctant trainer and delegable father - his own daughter not being on speaking terms - why, the audience is never informed - but Eastwood clings that each letter he sends won't be returned from his daughter like the hundred others that he keeps as punishment.
One would guess that Eastwood sins were great - that he betrayed his daughter - that he left his wife, that he is looking through redemption through the victory of his protégés.
In a word, this film chronicles Swank's rise from "trailor trash" to the fierce warrior who destroys her competition to the cheers, and inspired crowds chanting her Gaelic name, given to her by the poetry reading Eastwood.
Swank has her chance, and victory is certain. Eastwood has borough a fighter to the height of heart and skill. But this is not a glorified female version of Rocky, or more recently Cinderalla man. It is a story of friendship, loyalty, and again, like Mystic River, like Unforgiven, the tragic hand of G*d intervening to force the characters to face themselves at the level of heart, of Philos, of the knowledge of one's limits of love and devotion.
These themes prevail Eastwood's recent films, and his touch is delicate, and subcutaneous. To insert a personal anecdote - I sat in the theater long after the final frames had run, and the theater became lit, and emptied. Stunned that wisdom could be brought to the screen like the best of literature, floating like the best of Chopin's Nocturne's. This is a film for the ages. And will be talked about, and written about and discussed, for years to come.
The best film of the year, from one of Hollywood's most understated, and underrated directors - the masterfully wise Mr. Eastwood.