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As both an actor and a director, Clint Eastwood is a legend. His recent movies have all had a very distinct style to them. They are slowly drawn out character studies that tend to leave one unsatisfied until the very end where everything comes together. “Million Dollar Baby” is no exception. It is another outstanding piece of work to add to the Eastwood library.
The story is about boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) who’s approached by 31-year-old Maggie Fitzgerald, played by Hilary Swank. Her life’s dream is to become a boxer, and she wants Dunn to be her trainer. Dunn reluctantly takes in Fitzgerald after much persuasion from Eddie Dupris, a janitor at Dunn’s gym and his longtime friend of Dunn’s, played perfectly by Morgan Freeman. Dunn trains Fitzgerald and the two of them take on the world of women’s boxing. A good portion of the film is a traditional, well told boxing story that holds one’s interest. A surprise element, however, does work its way into the film, and it hits hard. This element is definitely what sets “Million Dollar Baby” apart from similiar boxing movies.
The interaction between Eastwood, Swank and Freeman is brilliant. Clint Eastwood plays well off of the entire cast of the movie, giving one of his best performances to date. He and Freeman work well together as two grizzled old men who enjoy verbally sparring with each other. Eastwood also works well with Swank, playing a boxing trainer who turns into a fatherly figure. The relationships formed are some of the best seen in film this year. The characters are so easy to relate to because they all have something to overcome. Dunn’s a trainer who’s never taken anyone to the top. Fitzgerald’s a woman who started training at an older age and grew up in poverty, and Dupris was blinded in one eye during his last fight many years ago. There’s no alternative other than to feel sympathetic for these characters and to root for them whenever the opportunity presents itself.
“Million Dollar Baby” works as a good companion piece to Eastwood’s last movie “Mystic River.” The two are both emotionally powerful movies about people and the decisions that they make. What makes the two so great is their deviation from typical Hollywood fare. Eastwood’s style is unconventional for modern day filmmaking, and that is what makes his films all the more brilliant. He makes movies that aren’t about special effects and aren’t epic in the traditional sense, but have the ability to move audiences. “Million Dollar Baby” is a film that gives one no other choice than to feel exactly what it wants you to feel. Eastwood is possibly in the prime of his career, which is saying something, considering his past films. At the least, “Million Dollar Baby” should be taking home a handful of well-deserved Academy Awards. It’s a movie with some of the best acting of the year, and it should be recognized as such.
Bangor Daily News