Review of Million Dollar Baby (2004) by Russell S — 31 Aug 2018

This is a wonderfully shot movie . The acting is great and character formation and development. It is above average in every production department, but I'm a bit uneasy about the message . I think it is a tad confused and won't age well .

I know there have been boxing movies of male boxers dying and suffering terrible injuries, but this movie is really made at the dawn of women's boxing . The many people at the time who were aghast at the thought of women boxing , especially male boxing fans and press ,have now bought into it and women's boxing and boxers have shown they are as relatively capable as their male counterparts.

It has a bit if a dated and sexist outlook . The fragile flower outlook . The movie is undeniably well made ,but I think iit is maybe too manipulative. I for one hate the violence of boxing , but I believe in equality and this film while at first acknowledging that she could box , at this point I thought it was forward thinking ! Then to be put into a coma was to pull that rug and the final message was that women don't belong in the ring .