Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

Clint Eastwood adds spectacularly to both his Directing career and to his acting career with this great film. Clint Eastwood plays Frankie, a retired cut man who now manages a gym a former fighter who he worked with Scrap (Freeman). But he is brought back into the action by Maggie (Swank), a wannabe fighter who's determined to fight her way to the top. Eastwood is sceptical at first but becomes emotionally attached to this gritty fighter, As Maggie improves and becomes a great fighter she seems invincible, however it all ends in heartbreak when an accident ends her career and she is left paralysed.

This film is very similar to those other boxing films that we have all seen, Raging Bull, Rocky and the like (with the rise from the gutter to become the best), but this film adds something extra that was apparent in any of these films; The emotional connection between Trainer and Fighter is expertly shown (like Rocky's relationship with Mike but much more intense and much more like a father daughter relationship - portrayed best in the final half hour of the film after the unfortunate accident). Although it did seem to drag on in some parts, every minute of this film I wanted to watch (whilst fighting the temptation to get distracted)

The typical Boxing Clichés still appear, a montage sort of sequence where the fighter becomes extremely good, fighting scenes where everyone is happy and the boxer beats the crap out of the opponent, but with this being a woman fighter to begin with (with all the criticisms of women not being able to box etc etc) and the emotional turn this film takes it adds much more to the film that some others in the boxing genre miss. To be honest this should not be compared with these because it is much more like a drama, dealing with much wider issues that just being a good fighter.

There are some epic performances in this film, which are accompanied by magnificent direction and great scenes that allow the audience to connect with the characters and feel their pain and suffering and hardship throughout this great picture.

Hilary Swank (Insomnia, The Core, The Black Dahlia, Boys Don't Cry) gives one of her most memorable performances after Insomnia, she is great as the gritty and determined young self-proclaimed white trash fighter.

Clint Eastwood (Too many to name; Good the Bad and the Ugly, Fist Full of Dollars, Few Dollars More, Line of Fire, Blood Work, Dirty Harry, Space Cowboys) takes on a role that I did not see him playing. A much more emotionally connected Character with a lot of baggage. Extremely good and refreshing to see him plays something other than his most memorable role as a gun-toting (yet brilliant) cowboy.

Morgan Freeman (Sum of All Fears, Bruce Almighty, Deep Impact, Hard Rain, Dream catcher, Robin Hood, Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven) takes a back seat in this film, much like his role in Shawshank, where he narrates the story yet plays a vital role in the make up of the film. It is great to watch Morgan Freeman at what I think is what he does best - the great speaker sort of character!

This is a great film, not only for its boxing content but for the whole way in which the story is set up and produced. It is a very gripping film and is brilliant to watch this emotional epic. 9/10