Million Dollar Baby Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)February 3rd, 2005
This "Baby" is a Million Bucks
by Homer Yen
(c) 2004
"Million Dollar Baby" is a masterful piece of storytelling. Clint Eastwood, who stars and directs this beautiful picture, has created his best project yet and possibly the best film of 2004. You are reminded of a gifted woodworker who tirelessly smoothes down all of the rough edges and then continues to apply his personal touch until the final product is distinctively his.
On the outside, it tells the story of an aging trainer, Frankie (Clint Eastwoon). His sunset years are marked by regret. But he finds solace in his seedy Los Angeles gym, hidden among abandoned buildings and empty streets. He has seen his share of defeat both in terms of his family and his friends. He has secrets that he will not share. He makes decisions that seem questionable. But he is regarded as one of the best at what he does and he attracts the attention of an aging hillbilly girl, Maggie (Hilary Swank). She may be past her prime, but she has a will and determination pushes her to pursue her dream of being a professional boxer.
Yet, the film is not really about boxing at all. It does have some exciting boxing sequences as we watch Maggie manhandle her opponents. However, it is about the nuanced friendship that eventually develops between a girl that knows she is trash and a gruff, old man who never wanted to train girlies.
On the inside, it is a bittersweet drama. It is brusquely gift-wrapped by Frankie's long-time best friend, Scrap (Morgan Freeman). He was a contender and a prize-fighter. He suffered a career-ending injury and now lives at Frankie's gym helping out here and there. Scrap and Frankie have small conversations that suggest how deep and enduring their friendship has been over time. The film is filled with moments like these that help to create characters that are real and affecting and involving.
It is hard to explain the power of the film or even how its depth is evoked. This is one of those rare gems where you have to see it to feel it. The performances are understated but are as true as people are real. A limited musical score and effects that underscore their ongoing solemnity gives each of the characters a multi-faceted richness. The best scene in this film will surprise you. It involves, merely, a heart-to-heart conversation in a car during a long road trip between Frankie and Maggie. The conversation unwinds slowly. The dialogue is poetic but never fancy. It is the kind of scene, and this is the kind of film, where you sit very quietly in the theater and are drawn deeply into the lives of characters that you care very much for.
I personally believe that 2004 has been a lackluster year for films. After the triumphant "Return of the King", nothing seemed to measure up. Perhaps I've been looking for something equally gallant and majestic and awe-inspiring. But it turns out that beauty also comes in surprisingly small and efficient packages. Less is more. And, this "Baby" is a winner.
Grade: A
S: 0 out of 3
L: 1 out of 3
V: 3 out of 3
More on 'Million Dollar Baby'...
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