While I feel that his movies can still be very moving, he doesn’t challenge the medium, or move the art form forwards.
His work has a very old Hollywood feel – you could take most of his modern films, set them in the 60s in black and white, and they wouldn’t feel out of place. Raging Bull deals with a man whose physical and emotional violence take control of him, Rocky is about the hope that lies in the American dream of rising from “zero to hero.” Million Dollar Baby is about what it means to be family.įor the most part, Clint Eastwood is not a director who has moved onto the “new Hollywood” style.
"Million Dollar Baby" earns that, too.Starring: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan FreemanĬlint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby is a movie that joins the ranks of boxing films that aren’t really about boxing. The best love is earned.Īnd so is the respect accorded to the best movies. "Million Dollar Baby" is a profound testament to the idea that sometimes the families we make along the way in life are the real ties that bind. The score - simple and unadorned - mirrors both the script and the direction. Like his direction, the music supports the story at every turn. There isn't one wasted frame of film, and his simple use of fades to black between scenes allows the story to flow seamlessly.Ĭreating his own soundtracks has become a signature for Eastwood's films and "Million Dollar Baby" is no exception. He pulls the best from his actors the economy of his directing style is unparalleled. Seeing them on screen is like attending a master class in the art of acting.Īnd Eastwood remains one of the finest directors working today. Nothing gets past them they can convey volumes with just a movement or glance. She inhabits the role with grace, style and intelligence.Įastwood and Freeman are a joy to watch together. She's a gritty actress, and she shows real depth - and an uncanny ability to get into the heart of her character. Swank confirms that her amazing work in "Boys Don't Cry" was no fluke. With "Million Dollar Baby," this Hollywood veteran has once again found material allowing him to rip away the façade of his characters and expose the raw emotions beneath the surface. You have to only look back one year to Eastwood's last stunning achievement, "Mystic River," to confirm that the filmmaker loves stories dealing with second chances and human redemption. Toole - is multi-layered and sharply observant. The finely crafted script by Paul Haggis - based on short stories from the collection "Rope Burns" by F.X. But what sets this story apart is the remarkable journey these three deeply flawed characters eventually take over the course of the film. On the surface, this rookie-seeking-a mentor-setup sounds like numerous other plotlines in numerous other films over the years - boxing films in particular. This onetime fighter sidelined by injury gently encourages her while steadily throwing her in Dunn's path in hopes of getting his friend's attention. The only person who remotely believes in Fitzgerald's dream is Dupris - known throughout the film as Scrap. He doesn't need the added baggage.Įverybody - Eastwood, Swank and Morgan Freeman - gives terrific performances, says critic Paul Clinton. Then, too, Dunn is fighting his own personal demons as he faces the end of his career. Second, at the age of 31, he thinks Fitzgerald is too old to begin a career in the ring. Her goal is not only to become a champion in the world of female boxing, but also to get Dunn to become her mentor, coach and manager.ĭunn has other ideas. that matches Dunn's leathery, world-weary face. The movie begins with Fitzgerald walking into the Hit Pit, a seedy gym in downtown L.A. Eastwood, in particular, hasn't grabbed the screen so totally since "Unforgiven." And Hilary Swank's knockout (sorry) portrayal of boxer Maggie Fitzgerald is tailor-made for Oscar.
(It's already earned several honors, including five Golden Globe nominations and placement on several critics' top 10 lists.)Ĭlint Eastwood, as gym owner and boxing manager Frankie Dunn, and Morgan Freeman, as former fighter and gym manager Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris, deliver their best performances in very long time. I expect it will be nominated in every top category except best supporting actress, and only because the film doesn't have a role fitting that slot. Indeed, "Million Dollar Baby" is destined to cause a feeding frenzy among Academy Awards voters. The film works on every level - acting, direction and production - as it tells its heartfelt story about human frailty and the power of redemption. It's a film set in the boxing world, but the title makes it sound like a Busby Berkeley musical.īut it's also, quite simply, one of the best films of the year - or the last few years, for that matter. (CNN) - "Million Dollar Baby" has one of the worst titles I've heard in awhile.