In Clint Eastwood's eloquent Million Dollar Baby,
a tale about a determined female boxer trying to make her mark ultimately
turns into a very poignant and familial love story between two wounded
souls.
Story
Painfully estranged from his daughter,
old-school boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) hasn't let anyone
get too close to him in a very long time. Even his best friend and former
trainee Scrap (Morgan Freeman), who manages Frankie's rundown boxing gym,
has a tough time getting through. Everything changes, however, when Maggie
Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into the gym. A spitfire looking for
someone to believe in her, Maggie also has a painful past. But with
unshakable willpower, along with some tremendous raw talent, Maggie has
found that her love for boxing could be her ticket to a happy life--and
she wants Frankie to turn her into a champion. Naturally, he doesn't want
to have anything to do with her and doesn't want to take that risk,
especially with a girl. Yet Frankie is soon won over by the young
boxer's dogged resolve to be the best. The road to glory isn't easily
paved for these two stubborn mules, but Maggie and Frankie rediscover a
sense of family they both thought they'd lost long ago. Theirs is a bond
that will carry them through one of the hardest journeys either one of
them will ever take. Oh, yeah, you're going to need a wad of tissues for
this one.
Acting
Swank once again sheds her girlishness
to tackle the roughhouse world of female boxing, and she delivers another
Oscar-caliber performance as Maggie. Not only does the actress embody the
physicality of such a role--achieved after months of hard training--she
also captures the spirit of a woman who defies the odds by breaking away
from her dirt-poor, trailer-trash upbringing to become a champion. Some
may liken the plain, no-nonsense Maggie to Swank's Oscar-winning role as
the girl-turned-boy Brandon in Boys Don't Cry, but Swank has
matured in her acting abilities, giving Maggie a very definite feminine
edge. Still, Swank might consider a nice romantic comedy for her next
project. As for the men of Baby, Eastwood and Freeman have never
been more on top of their game. Frankie is tailored-made for Eastwood, who
plays a man tortured by his past and reluctant to let anyone in. It's a
persona he has adopted many times, but as the boxing trainer, the craggy
face, gravel-voiced actor-director truly gives one of the better
performances of his career. The same goes for Freeman as the soft-spoken
but oh-so-wise Scrap. And watching the two Unforgiven veterans
bicker and banter in Baby is like watching an old married couple.
Direction
Like a fine wine, Clint Eastwood's movies just keep getting better and better the older the director gets.
Following last year's intense Mystic River, which some saw as a bit
heavy handed, Eastwood seems to have gone back to a quieter, simpler, more
personal tone with Million Dollar Baby. The film starts out along
the lines of such great boxing films as Raging Bull and the recent
Girlfight, as it highlights the competitive world of female boxing.
It's in your face and gritty, showing the punches, the blood and the pain
in glorious Technicolor. But just as it starts to turn into Rocky-style
sap, when Maggie rises to the top against all the odds, the film subtly
shifts into a love story about two people hurt by their pasts, only to
find each other and decide to hold on in a deeply familial way. Then, just
when you think how sweet that all is, Baby throws you for an
even bigger, albeit darker, loop. Eastwood expertly and gently guides you
through the film's wondrous maze of revelations. Baby deserved its
Oscar wins.
Bottom Line
Just when you think he should be
retiring, Clint Eastwood throws another one-two punch. Infused by
undeniable talent, Million Dollar Baby will knock you out.
