Not a boxing fan - but a well paced drama can be found here

Rating: 7/10 (23 October 2015)

I'll confess to something up front - I still haven't seen Million Dollar Baby. I was put off by the boxing. This movie, however, has changed my mind - and demonstrated that a simple story told with perfect pacing can tick all the right boxes with almost any backdrop. Whilst it's a long film, there wasn't a moment which felt out of place and wasn't part of Jake's character transition as he fights with his circumstances - the dialogue seems perfectly suited and delivered at every moment.
Maybe my only complaint is Oona isn't given much time to explain her swings in character- it's perfectly understand if you imagine more about her story, but for a man who misses his daughter so much there is little exploration of the impact on her.