A retrospective review

Rating: 8/10 (4 December 2006)

Million Dollar Baby beat off strong competition from The Aviator to claim the Best Picture of the Year award at the Academy Awards and it's not hard to see why.
Back in the director's chair, Clint Eastwood pulls no punches in this adaptation of a short story by former pugilist F.X Toole. As well as calling the shots behind the camera, Clint himself plays a starring role in the film.
Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, a world-weary boxing trainer who is in the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter. Frankie lives by two rules, number one, "protect yourself" and number two, "I don't train female fighters." Maggie Fitzgerald, played by Hilary Swank, wants to be a prize-winning boxer and she's willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Frankie soon finds her training uninvited in his gym, demanding that he teach her how to reach the top.
After several refusals to help, it soon becomes clear that Maggie isn't going to leave unless he agrees to take her on. Thus beginning the first of many battles of will that these two fiery characters will face together.
Nominated for seven Academy Awards, viewers who like their films traditionally slow paced will find great reward here. There are no gimmicks on show, just plain old storytelling. This marks a refreshing change from the staccato direction usually on show in the latest Hollywood blockbuster. However, it isn't without its flaws. At times it does become a little emotionally manipulative, occasionally demanding a visceral response from the audience instead of inducing emotion, as its message gets rammed home a little too much as the film reaches its climax.
Overall though, with great performances from the leading actors and reliably fine support from the eminently impressive and Oscar winning Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby is an enjoyable watch.
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