Disappointing

Rating: 2/10 (17 May 2005)

I really wanted to love this movie. After a very lackluster year I was hoping for a movie which would redeem the whole year for me. And after having read the overwhelmingly positive reviews and seen the Oscar landslide I really hoped this movies was it". I love all the talent involved, so I was logically expecting a great movie with amazing performances of all the leads. What a disappointment! Now after having seen it I wonder why on Earth were movies like Finding Neverland" or Kinsey" so drastically" overlooked last year. The story of Million Dollar Baby" is totally uninteresting and I did not care for any of the characters (with perhaps the exception of Freeman's character: it might have been a much better movie if it had concentrated on his character). There was nothing either in the performances or the direction which would make me really emotionally invested in the movie. Clint Eastwood is utterly unconvincing in his part, Hilary Swank has nothing to play (though she is very convincing as a boxer), but any actress willing to play without a make-up could be equally good in the part, I guess. Only Morgan Freeman sparks up some interest with his performance, but he has very little screen time. As for Clint Eastwood's direction: it seems his only specific approach to direction was to make the characters move in the dark for the most part of the movie. Not enough, Clint! So, if you want to see a good movie for 2004, watch Finding Neverland" or Kinsey" instead.