Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...idea of going to see Million Dollar Baby. If that wasn’t bad enough, Clint Eastwood made me step back even further. I’m not a fan, I probably never will be, but I will give the man his dues as this film is excellent, a very stirring experience. With a little push from both the workers at my local cinema and mo chara, Ailran (after reading his own excellent review) yesterday I duely handed over my €5, and along with the twenty or so other people ...
...let me tell you about Million Dollar Baby, the film that tells the story of an ageing trainer and a hillbilly girl who, to escape all else, lives to be a boxer. The film is narrated throughout by an ex boxer who happens to be the trainers best friend. The film doesn’t just focus on boxing as a sport, it is about a boxer, and her struggles, as well as all the other characters in the film. Frankie Dunn, played by Clint Eastwood, is the boxing trainer ...

Evil_Irish_Twin 03.02.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...I cannot recommend Million Dollar Baby enough. It is one of the most impressive films I’ve seen for along time. Eastwood, Freeman and particularly Hilary Swank are all on stunning from. I don’t know what it is about Swank but give her good dramatic role and she shows what an incredibly talented actress she is. ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ showed this and the Oscar voters agreed. I’d be surprised if she doesn’t get the same recognition again this time. I cannot ...
...year. Her transformation from trailer trash to boxer is impressive and believable. Details Director: Clint Eastwood Writer: Paul Haggins (Screenplay) Based upon ‘Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner’ by manager/cutman Jerry Boyd under the pen name FX Toole Running time: 137 mins Certificate: 12A Cast: Clint Eastwood – Frank Morgan Freeman – Eddie Hilary Swank – Maggie Fitzgerald (Boys Don’t Cry, The Core) Jay Baruchel – Danger Barch (Rules ...

Ailran 26.01.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...as starring, Clint Eastwood directs Million Dollar Baby and does a fine job of it in a kind of non-interventionalist way. A lot of the scenes are shot in dim lighting to help capture the mood and I suppose portray boxings murky, slightly shady image. This is not a special effects movie though, but the fight scenes are brutal and very convincing. Probably to the annoyance of the person sat behind me, I often found myself recoiling my head slightly ...
...be a good idea). Million Dollar Baby isn't big on locations with naturally, most of the story being based indoors, however, when Maggie goes to Europe for a few fights we are shown the obligatory shot of the Houses Of Parliament / Big Ben to let us know she's in London. Unfortunately I was too engrossed in the actual film to notice the score, although I'm sure it was there. Throughout the film the acting is superb. You naturally come to expect this ...

scampi1 26.01.2005 (01.03.2005) · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

A month later than planned I finally managed to go and see a film that seemed to have captured everyones imagination, including the academys - yet unlike others, this film has been shrouded in a silence which left me not knowing what to expect. Directing once again in his assured and perfected minimalist style, in “Million Dollar Baby” Clint Eastwood has once again delivered a modern masterpiece - a film that brings us back to the days when stories ...
...in last year’s “Mystic River”, which like this film was also a multi academy award winner, Eastwood decides to add acting to his normal duties as producer, director and composer of the film’s score. He plays Frank, a tired and beaten boxing trainer who’s been in the sport all of his adult life, and has become so wearied by his plateau of moderate success that he has become fearful of the ambition to train a champion, let alone a female who will inevitably ...

milwayj 08.03.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...go for a review of Million Dollar Baby, i found i got, and i'm sure you will too, a positive picture of the film, now don't get me wrong it's not a bad film, on the contrary, it is good, just not great. It is also widely over-praised. It is too-cliched, too forced and just seems a final 'honour me with an best actor Oscar' plea by Clint. This film won best film Oscar because of the Academy's new-foung love affair with Clint's work, but probably more ...
...should have been neither but the not-even-nominated Eternal Sunshine, Farenheit, The Incredibles or out of the nominations available, Sideways. I went into the cinema, with high expectations, what with Clint directing and starring, Morgan Freeman as his back-up, and previous award-winner Hilary Swank as the star, but I came out feeling somewhat underwhelmed. The story revolves around a training gym for boxers, Clint (as Frankie Dunn) an old fixer ...

benji007 09.03.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of 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 ...
...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 ...

m.kerby 16.02.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...that, read on…) Million Dollar Baby is the story of a female boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), her trainer Frankieie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), and his sidekick / business partner Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman). The film is mainly a character study of the first two characters with many side-plots and subtle nuances along the way. Other peripheral but important characters include Maggie's mother, Frankie's priest, and a slightly mentally ...
...like it at first glance, Million Dollar Baby bears more than a passing resemblance to the recent Ladies in Lavender. Swap the boxer for a violinist and the two veteran actors for two veteran actresses, and you've got a similar concept - a character study of how a newcomer affects the lives of others and how old memories shape a person's attitudes. Intriguing stuff, and expertly handled. Of the two this one just gets the edge, partly due to Swank's ...

CaptainDisaster 25.04.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...of four Oscars, Clint Eastwoods Million Dollar Baby certainly proved to be more than just an contender. Coming hot on the tails of his last directorial outing Mystic River, it's a somewhat smaller, yet equally captivating tale about love, loss and achieving ones dreams. While initially looking like it's going down in the first, Eastwood slowly brings the character dynamics together to create a film about real relationships. Despite promising 'never ...
...turns moving, funny and shocking, Million Dollar Baby is a compelling, character driven drama which never pulls it's punches. Visual and Audio Lovely picture presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1. The coulours are particularly sharp, especially so in the fight scenes. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround with English subtitles optional. The sound is very good, again the standouts being the fight scenes where you can hear every ...

Crib79 28.07.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

I have had this DVD sitting on my to-watch shelf for months now but have been put off from watching it as I am not a fan of Clint Eastwood. As it was hubby's turn to choose the film we ended up watching this one. I will openly admit that I was very surprised with this film. The film starts with Frankie, played by Clint Eastwood being the manager of a gym and he is also a boxing trainer and is quite successful. Also working in the gym is Scrap, played ...
...narrating the film and telling us a bit the boxers and Frankie. A young lady, Maggie, played by Hilary Swank, walks into the gym one day and starts to train, Frankie is not happy about this and refuses to train her as he does not want to damage his reputation, he is even more angry when he finds out she has paid for a 6 month membership to his gym. Scrap takes a liking to her and helps her out by showing her a few moves when they are in the gym ...

sewbizzie 30.12.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...the talent to match. Million Dollar Baby is one of my favourite films, it’s one of those that you can watch over and over again without tiring of. It’s a classic story of how if you want something bad enough and you have the willpower to go out and get it you will ultimately achieve your goal whatever it may be, in this scenario it is of course boxing. I’m sure the main comparison that this film faces is Rocky, there have been boxing films that ...
...achieve the worldwide success that Million Dollar Baby did. The only similarities this film bares with Rocky is the sport, that’s it. I think that fact that this film is lead by a woman just shows how much things have moved on since the heyday of the Rocky franchise. I imagine that if this film was released in the days of Rocky it would have sadly slipped under the radar because a movie about a female boxer just wouldn’t have been relevant when you ...

Great_reviewer07 17.06.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...same could be said for Million Dollar Baby, I had read comments that the film wasn't up to the hype and honour. Meanwhile others declared it the one of the year's best. Well it was with a bit of mile trepidation that I sat down to watch the dvd. However I was sure it would at least be a decent film because Clint Eastwood rarely puts a foot wrong and you can be sure of getting some quality product. Million Dollar Baby actually exceeded my expectations ...
...won't guarantee you bug returns. Million Dollar Baby won it's awards because it actually tell's a story and tell's it very well. You have to let it settle in, if you're happy after spending two hours with a small amount of characters you didn't know before hand then the movie has done it's job. See Million Dollar Baby, you won't be disappointed. I got this dvd as a rental so I can't comment on any extras that may accompany the retail version of ...

utero 07.08.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

Now I will admit that when I sat down to watch this film it was 1am and was the third film I had watched in the same day. It was a Saturday and with not much on TV it seemed like the only thing to do. I had never seen this film but my partner recommended it strongly saying she couldn't believe I hadn't seen it, I was expecting to fall asleep half way through. The film is based on some short stories by F.X. Toole which have now been republished with ...
...Best Picture, Best Director and the Best Actor and Actress in Supporting Role Awards. The film pulled me in almost straight away, the opening scene a boxing match between two men who want a title fight, one of them takes a massive blow to the face and gets a deep cut under his eye. Then Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) enters, he is the boxers trainer and manager and he quickly patches up the eye and gives his man a few instructions. His man then goes ...

oo2bea 01.03.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...was until I came across Million Dollar Baby. I think it was more to do with the director, Clint Eastwood than the actual subject matter or anything else. It picked up a number of Oscar’s including best director and best leading actress and I guess that really whetted my appetite to see what all the fuss was about. The film follows the story of our two main characters. Frankie (Clint Eastwood) is one of the best boxing trainers in the business. He’s ...
...a fighter into a world championship bout. The other is Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a 31 year old woman, who wants nothing more than to be a star boxer and she wants Frankie to help her achieve her goal. He’s unwilling though and refuses to take her on, but that doesn’t stop Maggie who turns up at Frankie’s gym to train anyway. As she spends longer and longer at the gym she starts to get a little help from Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris (Morgan Freeman) ...

Andy.mack 03.04.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...Madison County, Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. He also had major roles in Bridges Over Madison County and Million Dollar Baby. Because of his age, many thought that his acting and directing role was over, but obviously not. The plot Maggie Fitzgerald is determined to become a boxer. She has had a tough life and at the age of 31, supports herself by working as a waitress and feeding herself on other people's leftovers. When she finds Frankie ...
...become her trainer; the only problem is that he is not interested in training her. Maggie is not one to give up though; and eventually she breaks down Dunn's reserves and he takes her on as a student. She begins fighting professionally and does well under Frankie's tutelage, although he frequently has to reign in her exuberance. Having had a major break-up with his daughter, Maggie slowly begins to help him recover and face up to his past; in the ...

sunmeilan 28.04.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

...to see it. In Million Dollar Baby, Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, an ex boxer who is now a trainer looking for a boxer to win him a title. He owns a gym which he runs with the help of Morgan Freeman who plays Eddie Dupris. Eddie lost an eye in a boxing match for a title and Frankie holds himself reponsible for this. Hilary Swank plays Maggie Fitzgerald. She is 31 years old and has grown up with her mum and sister on a trailer park. Determined not ...
...in a trailer she leaves her family, gets a job waitressing and sets about learning to box. Something she has always wanted to do and the one thing she thinks she can be good at. When she first approaches Frankie to train her he is not interested as he thinks she is wasting her time because of her age. He also doesn't train girls. Maggie is determined to train and with the help of Eddie who shows her some stuff on the sly she starts to show potential. ...

kirkytracy 14.01.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Million Dollar Baby (DVD)