Review of Million Dollar Baby (2004) by Grant S — 19 Aug 2016

Frankie Dunn (played by Clint Eastwood) owns and runs a boxing gym in Los Angeles, as well as managing some of the boxers there. Working for him is Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris (Morgan Freeman). One day he is approached by Maggie Fitzgerald (Hillary Swank) who wants him to train her. He declines. Undeterred, Maggie joins his gym, hoping that he'll notice her and train. He is equally perseverant, knocking back all her requests to train her. However, eventually she wears him down and he trains her and manages her fight career. Her career goes very well and she now has a shot at the WBA title. Her opponent, the champion, does not play fair though...

Brilliant beyond description. Much much more than simply a boxing movie. It's a movie about friendship, looking out for one another and caring for those you love. Wonderful character depth and development and relationship development. Made by a twist nobody would see coming, and an ending that is emotional beyond compare.

Superb performance by Hillary Swank in the lead role, for which she won her second Oscar. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are also great in their roles - Eastwood got a Best Actor Oscar nomination and Freeman won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Freeman also provides the narration for the movie, and this is always a good thing.

The movie itself deservedly won the Best Picture Oscar in 2005 and Eastwood won Best Director.

This was to be Clint Eastwood's magnum opus and came in the middle of a purple patch for him. Before this he has made Mystic River and after was to come Flags of our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, Changeling, Gran Torino and Invictus.